Expecting the Unexpected
by heretherebemonsters
Summary: Starscream's affair with Megatron gets serious in a way neither have anticipated. Mostly just stupid fluff but hopefully enjoyable fluff. Warning: slash, mpreg. Don't like, don't read. I own nothing you recognize. Also if you're confused about the universe, please see my profile page.
1. Chapter 1

Megatron woke slowly, coming out of recharge lazily. His first realization was that he felt content. He saw the sun's rays glinting through the window covering and smiled faintly. A beautiful morning after a beautiful night.

Then he realized he was alone in the large berth. He sat up and looked around the room, but he was alone. Starscream was gone. Megatron was about to scowl when he heard some noise from his refresher. He slid out of bed and crept over to the cracked-open door. One crimson optic peered through the slit. He jerked back in surprise as he heard the sound of someone purging their tanks. He raised a hand and knocked on the door softly.

"Starscream, is that you?"

Immediately, the door snapped shut all the way with a click. "Frag, Megatron, you startled me!" came the Seeker's familiar scratchy voice from the other side. "I thought you were still sleeping."

"I'm sorry," Megatron said through the door. "I just woke up. Are you alright?"

There was a pause and there was the sound of running water. Then the door opened and Starscream stood before him, wiping with his fingertips at one corner of his mouth. "I'm fine," the Seeker answered brightly, but Megatron could see an unmistakable tiredness around his lover's gorgeous amber optics.

Megatron was unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Starscream said, leaning a hip against the door frame. "Too much high-grade." One corner of his full lips quirked up.

Megatron's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you didn't even drink last night," he said. He remembered it now; he'd thought it odd that his second-in-command, who normally loved to drink until he passed out, refused to have even a sip of the high-grade Megatron had brought to his quarters.

Starscream laughed. "Obviously, you had too much yourself." The jet stepped forward and laid a hand on Megatron's chesplate. "Do you remember what else we did?" Starscream's voice had dropped an octave and turned husky. Megatron felt a charge surge through his circuits as he recalled last night's events. In his mind's eye, he could see Starscream above him, his spark bared in its chamber, his head thrown back and optics shuttered, keening in ecstasy as Megatron's fingertips stroked the pulsating blue orb.

Megatron nodded and looked down at his second, fire lighting his crimson optics. "Oh yes, I remember."

Starscream smiled. "Good. I intend to do the same things again tonight." He leaned forward and up on his toes to kiss Megatron. Starscream was quite a bit shorter than his master and it was a stretch. Megatron solved the issue by wrapping his arms around the slender jet and lifting him up off the floor. Their lips met and they kissed passionately for a long moment. Then Starscream wiggled in Megatron's arms and the warlord set the smaller mech down on his feet.

"I have to go somewhere, but I'll be back right after I'm done," Starscream promised, turning to head for the door.

"Where are you going?" Megatron wondered.

"I have to go over some things with my trinemates," Starscream answered quickly. "It won't take long." With that, the Air Commander slipped out the door and was gone, leaving Megatron bewildered. Was it just him or was his second acting even more oddly than normal?

Starscream arrived at the medbay to find Hook waiting for him. The medic was seated in a chair next to a bench by the scanning equipment, tapping a foot impatiently. "You're late," he accused as Starscream flopped down on the bench.

"Look, I made it over as fast as I could," Starscream defended himself as Hook rose and moved over to the scanner. "I would have been here sooner, except I was in Megatron's refresher purging my tanks for the third time this morning."

Hook shook his head. "That makes the fourth morning in a row."

"Yes." Starscream sighed. " I hope you can tell me what's wrong. I missed out on some fine high-grade last night." Hook had directed the Air Commander to lay off the drinking until they knew for sure what was going on.

"I think it's some kind of virus," Hook mused as he attached the scanner's cables to Starscream's chest and wrist. "If it is, I can just give you some meds and send you on your way."

Starscream sat back with a sigh as Hook initiated the scan sequence. "What's odd is that nothing showed up on your routine maintenance scans from last orn," the medic mused. "Usually it takes awhile for a virus to hit but it'll still show in the scans. Of course, I could be wrong."

A few breems passed and Hook intently watched the monitor as the scans wound to a close. When they were all finished, one file blinked, catching his attention. He clicked on it and quickly looked over its contents. He couldn't stifle a startled gasp.

Starscream looked at him out of half-shuttered optics. "What did you find?"

"I was wrong," Hook said shakily. "Very wrong. It's not a virus. It's something with your spark."

Starscream immediately looked alarmed. "What do you mean?"

Hook didn't answer but instead grabbed a hand-held spark scanner. Starscream obligingly opened his chest plating to reveal his spark chamber to the medic. Hook passed the device over the area and waited anxiously for an image to come up on the screen, biting his lower lip. When the screen showed the scan's results, Hook groaned and shook his head.

"Oh no," he murmured.

"What?" Starscream demanded, sitting forward to give the medic a shake. "What?"

"Um...uh," Hook stammered, before giving up and turning the scanner to show Starscream the image of his spark. The Seeker squinted at it, not liking how irregular and misshapen it looked. He glanced at Hook.

"What does it mean?"

"You're carrying," Hook burst out.

Starscream stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Here!" Hook exclaimed, pointing at the portion of his spark which appeared somehow lumpy. "This is a new spark attached to yours. It's young, I'd say maybe a week old."

"Another spark?" Starscream murmured, puzzling it out. "Another-" Then it seemed to hit him. Panic flooded his features. "Oh no oh no oh no," he said.

"Oh yes," Hook said, tossing the scanner aside. "You are definitely carrying. Do you know who the sire is?" Hook quirked an optic ridge at Starscream, knowing full well the Air Commander had had several lovers within the last vorn.

Starscream slumped back against the wall, nodding. "Yes," he whispered. "It's Megatron."

Hook thought he hadn't heard correctly. "Say what?"

"Megatron!" Starscream snapped. "Megatron is the sire."

Hook gaped at the Seeker. "Oh my."

Starscream smiled grimly. "Oh my is right."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. He's the only one I've been with for the last two orns. And the only one who's touched my spark in vorns." Starscream sighed.

Hook sighed too. "Then I guess there's no question."

Starscream shook his head. "No. None." With a sigh, the jet sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees, head in hands. "Now I have to find a way to tell him," he murmured, staring sightlessly at the floor.

"I'm sure it will work out fine," Hook tried to console him, patting him on the shoulder.

Starscream bit out a strained and humorless laugh as he straightened and rose. "Well, if you hear that I happened to die in a freak accident, you'll know what happened." With that, he settled his wings in their normal position and strode out the door.

Starscream paused outside the door at Megatron's quarters, trying to gather his wits. He had no idea what he should say or how he should say it. That made him nervous enough, but there was also the small fact that he had no idea whatsoever of how his master would react. And that was what really bothered him.

Finally, Starscream decided the best way to handle this cluster-fragged situation was just to walk in and be up front about it. With luck, he would never even know what hit him.

The Seeker keyed the door and marched through, steeled to meet whatever fate might await him.

He found Megatron sprawled lazily across the rumpled berth, on his side and propped on an elbow, scrolling through a datapad. The warlord looked up when Starscream sauntered in. He offered his second a smile. "Oh good, you're back," he said brightly, tossing the datapad aside and moving to sit on the edge of the berth. "I wanted to talk to you about something I've been thinking about."

Starscream stopped some feet away and held up a hand. "Wait. Please, I have something I need to tell you first."

The gravity in the Seeker's scratchy voice gave Megatron pause. The warlord's brow furrowed. "Is everything alright?" he asked cautiously.

"Not entirely." Starscream cleared his throat. Holding Megatron's gaze, he blurted out the news. "I'm carrying."

Megatron's reaction was not immediately apparent. He continued to stare at his lover, but slowly his expression changed from one of bewilderment to shock and then finally to anger. The warlord jumped up and was suddenly right in front of Starscream, towering over the smaller mech, a pillar of flashing optics and burning rage.

"WHAT?" Megatron roared. When Starscream opened his mouth but found himself unable to answer, Megatron reached out and gripped the jet by the upper arms, giving him a solid shake. "How could you do this? You betrayed me, you lying scrap heap! And after you promised to be faithful! Who's the sire? I'll kill him when I'm done with you! Who? Who is it?"

"You are!" Starscream cried, jolted from his speechlessness by the threat. "You, my lord!"

Megatron froze. "Me?"

Starscream nodded emphatically. "Yes! I never betrayed you. You are the sire, my lord."

Megatron's hands dropped from the Seeker's arms. He stared at his second, all his previous fury suddenly and completely gone, replaced by plain shock. "Uh...well." Megatron cleared his throat. "That changes things."

Starscream remained as still as stone, not even his wings twitching. As more and more time passed in silence, his spark sunk more and more and his wings began to droop. Finally, he whispered, "Do you wish me to have Hook terminate it, my lord?"

Megatron straightened and looked at his lover. "No," he said, shaking his head. There was another lengthy pause, as though the warlord were mentally weighing his options and all their pros and cons. Finally, he stepped closer to Starscream and spoke quietly.

"This is quite unexpected," he confessed. "But I suppose we should have been expecting something like this from the way we've been merging our sparks. At any rate, it all leads me to what I was going to talk to you about."

Starscream was doing his best to stay calm and composed and appear interested. In hindsight, Megatron's anger wasn't unexpected, but Starscream found he'd been somehow hoping for a different reaction. Like one which didn't involve yelling and death threats...

"I have been thinking," Megatron was saying, "that since we've agreed to be exclusive and that hopefully you harbor at least some of the same feelings for me as I do for you, that we might become bonded."

Starscream's wings shot up in surprise. "As in spark-bonded?"

Megatron nodded. "Yes. As in mated."

"Megatron, I had no idea you would even consider that," Starscream exclaimed. "With me, at any rate, I mean."

Megatron cocked his head to the side slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well...uh, I guess I never thought you would consider me a suitable mate," Starscream spluttered. "Not with the way we fight. I figured I'd be a quick roll in a berth for you and then you'd move along."

Megatron smiled in amusement. "It is true that you can be quite annoying, my Screamer. But the truth is that you have been the only bot in this army who has the ball bearings to stand up to me and not just kiss my aft. That counts for something. And I enjoy your sense of humor." Megatron's crimson optics twinkled as he watched the amazed expression crossing Starscream's face. The warlord stepped closer and began a slow circle around the Seeker, raising a hand to drag fingertips across smooth armor plating, over shoulders, across wing struts. He paused just behind Starscream's opposite shoulder, his lips close to the jet's audio, and whispered, "Besides, my little Seeker, you are just too beautiful to pass up."

Starscream thought his knees would give out. He realized he was trembling from top to bottom. His whole body gave a little jerk when he felt Megatron's warm lips brush his neck, followed by a gentle nip. Megatron's deep voice was like a soft caress to his audios as the warlord murmured again.

"Be my mate, Starscream."

Starscream found himself nodding. "Yes," he gasped. "I will bond with you."

No one else had ever made Starscream feel this way before. Oh, he'd known physical passion; he'd gotten plenty of that over the thousands of centuries. But this was different. It wasn't merely his entire body that felt this draw to his master, every circuit surging with want and need. His spark felt it too and it couldn't lie, not with every flutter and lurch and jump which betrayed it.

It felt right.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter came out kind of strange but I don't know what else to do with it. Next chapter will be better. Expect lots of Screamer being Screamer! LOL**

Starscream couldn't recall ever having been so nervous in his life. His hands shook as he finished polishing the edge of his wing, running the chamois in hurried circles over the smooth armor. He let his hands drop into his lap, and he stared into the mirror above the wash rack inside his refresher. His reflection showed a handsome Seeker, slender wings sweeping out to the sides, every inch of armor plating shined and gleaming. He'd put a lot of effort into making sure every bit of his chassis got a thorough polishing.

Today was the day. Today he would bond with Megatron.

Starscream could hardly believe it. He had never really thought he would ever bond with anyone, much less Megatron. Starscream knew he wasn't always the easiest mech to deal with. His temper was legendary among both Decepticons and Autobots. He was unreasonable at best, murderous at worst. He'd always been that way and didn't know how he could ever be any other way. He was proud, oh so proud, and had a jealous streak as wide as Cybertron. He knew very well that it all made him quite an unsuitable candidate for bonding. Which made it all the more shocking that Megatron wanted him for a mate. That and the fact that they rarely saw optic to optic, about anything. Their arguments tended to be fierce and intense and often turned physical. He couldn't help but wonder how it would all change now...now that they would be parents.

Starscream touched his chestplates self-consciously, thinking of the sparkling. The tiny being was still attached directly to his own spark, and would stay there for another three orns before moving to his gestation chamber. Hook had explained the sparkling was still downloading all the required genetic coding it needed to be able to build its protoform, which would come once it was firmly lodged in the gestation chamber. Starscream's spark signature would retain Megatron's coding left over from their spark-merging until the sparkling had what it needed.

Starscream was still learning about the carrying process, diligently reading the datapads Hook had given him. There was so much information to process it was almost overwhelming. The Seeker had never had any reason to learn about the carrying process as he'd never expected to be creating a new life. So now it was like playing catch-up.

Then again, he had fourteen orns to figure it out.

Starscream twisted the chamois in his lap as thoughts of the future flooded his processor. He couldn't help feeling uncertain about a lot of things: the war and its effects on a sparkling, the reactions of his trinemates and the rest of the army, and most of all, his ability to be a good creator. The only thing he had no doubts about was his relationship with his leader.

At this, Starscream felt a mix of excitement and desire surge through his systems. He rose, hastily throwing down the chamois and heading for the door of his quarters in a flurry of nerves.

Only breems later, Starscream arrived at Megatron's throne room to find his master and Hook already waiting. Hook would be officiating the ceremony. Medics were, by tradition, able to administer death rites and oversee various types of ceremonies in the absence of a priest of Primus. Megatron kept no such individuals around so that meant Hook was the only choice.

Traditionally, Cybertronian bonding ceremonies were short and simple, delving straight to the point of the matter and free of all the pomp and circumstance which characterized similar ceremonies present in other cultures. There were no long speeches and flowery words required, merely that the bots seeking to be bonded voiced any concerns or doubts they had regarding the relationship, if there were any, and then that assurances of love and a promise of devotion be made. The officiator just guided the process. Mate-bonding ceremonies were considered an extremely private affair and no witnesses were thus required, just the two parties wishing to be joined together and the one overseeing it all.

And so the room remained empty aside from the three of them. Megatron had looked up at the sound of Starscream entering the room and his optics never left the Seeker after that. Starscream had come closer, to stand at Megatron's side before Hook, suddenly feeling shy. Megatron reached out to take his second's hand in his, gripping tightly. Starscream squeezed back.

"Are you nervous?" Megatron asked softly, leaning down toward the smaller mech.

Starscream glanced up at his master. "Yes," he admitted. "I'm very nervous. Do I look alright?" The Seeker rubbed at an imagined smudge on his chestplate.

Megatron smiled indulgently and reached out to still Starscream's hand. "You look amazing," the warlord rumbled. "Better than amazing. Stop worrying."

Starscream sighed. "What if you get tired of me a vorn from now?" It was the one nagging thought he couldn't get rid of. He was well aware how grating his personality could be at times.

Megatron reached out and touched Starscream's cheek. "I won't be. You are everything I could ever want."

Slowly, Starscream smiled. "I love you." It was out before he could think about the words and whether he would hear them back.

Megatron drew the jet closer, wrapping his arm around the slender waist. "As I love you."

Starscream could hardly believe his audios. He never thought he'd hear those words from anyone besides his trinemates and that was an altogether different sort of relationship. Never in a million vorns did he imagine he would hear those words from Megatron. In the next moment, all coherent thought vanished when the warlord's lips met his own and Starscream completely gave himself up to the kiss.

It was the happiest moment of his long life.

The two broke the liplock to find Hook chuckling and looking on approvingly.

"What?" Megatron asked, his optic ridges drawn together in confusion.

"You've just pretty much done the entire ceremony on your own," Hook explained. "You didn't even need my help."

Starscream frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Any doubts were voiced and your love for each other was announced. That about wraps it up." Hook grinned.

"Good," Megatron growled, holding Starscream tighter until their bodies seemed to mold together. "I would like to have some time alone with my mate."

Starscream shivered at the words. It seemed unbelievable. Hook inclined his head and headed for the door. In a moment, they were alone. Starscream looked up at Megatron and found himself locked in the warlord's smoldering gaze. The Seeker's knees began to knock together ever so slightly as his spark began to pound in its chamber. Again, he marveled at the way his master could make him feel, reducing him to complete and utter mush in a nanoklik.

Megatron captured his second's mouth in a searing kiss. Starscream's lips parted willingly to allow his master's glossa to invade his mouth as Megatron's hand came up to cradle the back of the Seeker's helm. His other arm remained wrapped around the jet's waist, slowly lifting him up off the floor, squeezing tighter as the kiss deepened, their glossae sliding together in a hot, silky dance. When Megatron finally pulled back, both of them were panting slightly and Starscream's cooling fans had kicked on. Megatron grinned wolfishly.

"This is just the beginning of the good times, my little Seeker," he murmured.

Starscream was looking forward to it.


	3. Chapter 3

Starscream leaned back against the wall of the refresher in the quarters he shared with his trinemates and let out a sigh. It was still early in the morning, just before sunrise. He'd just finished heaving up all the Energon he'd had the previous evening, and though he was still queasy he found he was ravenously hungry. Not that it would do any good for him to have his morning ration of Energon; he'd never be able to keep it down.

This was rapidly becoming his typical morning routine: waking up before anyone else and rushing to the refresher, then not being able to partake of his ration till nearly midday, and maybe not even then. Starscream sighed again as he pondered the whole thing. He was only an orn and a half into the cycle and already he was tired of this. Hook had said he could expect this sickness to last for another few orns; the prospect filled the Seeker with dread. He just desperately wanted to be past this.

A shuffling at the doorway made Starscream glance over. Thundercracker stood there, half-awake, but his expression was still full of concern for his friend. "Hey, you okay?" the blue Seeker asked in his deep, rolling voice which Screamer knew so well.

Starscream offered his wingmate a small, half-hearted smile. "Yeah."

Thundercracker wasn't convinced and his face clearly showed this. "You don't feel right," he mused, referring to their trine bond, which allowed them to sense each other's emotions and even their thoughts. "You're all jumbled up. Are you sure you're okay?"

Starscream was about to nod and insist he was fine, but suddenly everything seemed overwhelming. He wasn't sure how to cope with all the things changing in his life...the sparkling, Megatron, his own limitations.

Thundercracker jerked in momentary surprise when Starscream practically fell on him, streams of coolant rolling from his optics. Thundercracker recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around his trineleader, simply holding the other jet as Starscream sobbed on his shoulder.

As the last of the tears tapered off, Starscream straightened and hastily wiped the wetness from his cheeks, obviously embarrassed at his emotional display. "I'm sorry," he apologized, scratchy voice unsteady. He refused to look at Thundercracker.

Thundercracker reached out to touch Starscream's shoulder. "Don't be," he said gently. "You're going through a lot of changes right now. It's understandable. Plus, you're hormonal."

Starscream glanced up finally, a hint of a crooked smile on his lips. "At least I can use that as an excuse," he said before turning serious. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Thundercracker assured him. "That's what me and Warp are here for. We'll always be here for you."

"It's going to be weird not being here in these quarters with you two," Starscream murmured. It was the other thing that had been bothering him lately. "I feel like...I don't know. Like I'm abandoning you or something."

Thundercracker shook his head. "Don't feel that way cause we certainly don't. It's only right that you share quarters with Megatron. He is your mate, after all."

"I guess you're right," Starscream conceded. "If I ever get to move in." A note of bitterness had crept into his tone.

Megatron's quarters had been under construction for nearly an entire orn now, ever since they'd bonded. Starscream hadn't been allowed to move in yet and he was beginning to get impatient. What was taking so long? The Seeker's faceplates began to twist into a deep frown.

Thundercracker saw the beginnings of his trineleader's infamous temper and sought to divert it. "All in good time, Screamer," he said soothingly. "I'm sure Megatron wants every detail to be perfect before he lets you see it." Of course, the unspoken implication here was that Megatron didn't want to risk Starscream's temper by having a quick, half-aft job done.

Starscream seemed to ponder this possibility. "Maybe you're right," he said finally, perfectly calm. Thundercracker was secretly relieved he'd avoided a blowout. As much as he loved Screamer, he hated dealing with his trineleader's fits of rage. Put simply, it was just exhausting.

"Come on," Thundercracker said, reaching out and taking Starscream by the hand. "You need to get some rest. There's room in our berth for you." Starscream allowed himself to be led out of the room.

He didn't realize how tired he was until he'd climbed into bed beside a slumbering Skywarp. Thundercracker flopped down on his other side, draping an arm over Starscream's waist. It took only a breem for Starscream to fall into recharge, content and secure in his place between his trinemates.

It was afternoon by the time Starscream woke up. Skywarp and Thundercracker were both gone, having gotten up some time ago. One of them, probably Thundercracker, had pulled a blanket over Starscream and then they'd left him in peace to get some much-needed recharge.

Starscream was relieved to find the queasy feeling had gone. That meant he could eat. Finally.

He made his way to the mess hall and snatched up two cubes of low-grade. The first one he gulped down before he even sat down, but the second one he savored, sitting at a corner table and sipping the Energon slowly, leisurely. At this time of day, no one else was in the room to bother him and the peace and quiet made the experience that much more enjoyable.

When he was finished, he headed for the command center. As he entered, all optics turned to him and it was immediately obvious that his presence had been glaringly missing. The rest of the Decepticon command staff was present, going about their duties. His trinemates were at their stations; his own desk nearby was the only unoccupied work station in the room. Starscream couldn't help but scowl a bit. The one day the command center was fully staffed would just happen to be the day he showed up late. Really late.

Megatron sat in his throne on its dais, overseeing things from his perch. A stack of datapads teetered precariously on the floor beside his chair; no doubt he was reviewing routine reports and battle plans. The warlord's crimson optics locked on his second-in-command the moment Starscream entered the room. Starscream had hoped he would be able to slip over to his desk unnoticed, but he'd never had a chance. Megatron raised a hand and motioned his mate over. Starscream made his way up the dais and stopped in front of his master.

"Do you realize what time it is?" Megatron asked. "The entire command staff noticed your absence and were whispering about it all morning."

Starscream couldn't decide if Megatron was angry or not, but he decided to play it safe. "I apologize, my lord," he murmured, bowing his head a bit. "I wasn't feeling well and slept late."

Megatron leaned forward in his throne. "You're still ill in the mornings?" His voice had dropped to a whisper and Starscream could see concern in his optics.

The Seeker nodded. "Yes," he whispered back. "Hook said it will last for a few more orns."

"I see." Megatron appeared thoughtful. Moment passed and Starscream was well aware of the optics in the room watching them. He fought the urge to fidget. His wings twitched nervously.

Suddenly, Megatron stood and Starscream took a surprised step backward. "We need to talk," the warlord stipulated. "In private." He reached out and grabbed his second by the upper arm, steering him roughly toward the door. Once the portal had slid closed behind them and they were alone in the corridor, Megatron turned to Starscream, looking down at him.

"We have to decide when to tell them," he said flatly. Megatron looked primed and ready for a knock-down, drag-out fight.

Starscream knew what his master meant. Only a select few Decepticons knew the two were bonded and only Hook and his trinemates knew he was carrying. If he continued to be absent in the mornings, everyone would know something was going on. And then the rumors would start to fly. Starscream could see Megatron processing the same thoughts. He nodded.

"Better to tell them the truth than to have their little minds creating all sorts of bizarre explanations," Starscream muttered. "Although they'd have to get quite creative to find an answer more bizarre than the truth."

Megatron's expression became one of momentary surprise. "We're not going to argue about this?" He sounded astonished. "I would have expected you to want to keep everything a secret if we could."

Starscream shrugged. "What's the point?" he asked tiredly. "The bonding we probably could keep secret, if I stayed in my own quarters and we kept on like we always have. But soon enough I won't be able to hide the fact that I'm carrying. And then there will be all sorts of talk about who the sire is, and so on." He waved a hand in the air dismissively. "The soldiers in this army are worse gossip-mongers than any femme I ever met."

Megatron smiled at that before becoming serious again. "I have no idea how they'll react."

Starscream shrugged again. "I think some of them have their suspicions about us anyway. And for those who don't like it, what can they do about it? You and I run this army."

Megatron laughed and reached out to draw his mate close in a tender embrace. "You speak the truth, my Screamer. Are you ready to go tell the world our secret?"

Starscream looked up at Megatron and nodded. "Let's do it."

Megatron did the talking. He had once been an accomplished public speaker and had given countless speeches over the course of his long career, speeches that had been powerful enough to incite an uprising and sway loyalties in his favor. But over the thousands of vorns since, his style had changed, becoming simple and straight to the point. This occasion was no different. Once he had the whole base assembled and a live video feed going out to all the other Decepticon outposts, the warlord didn't waste time mincing words.

"I have an announcement to make," he began in his deep voice which carried out to the far corners of the gathered soldiers. "I have taken a bonded mate, none other than your second and Air Commander." He paused to let this sink in. Murmurs rippled through the ranks of mechs, but no one cried out in outrage. Megatron turned and extended a hand to Starscream and the Seeker took it, coming to stand at Megatron's side. Megatron forged ahead.

"We'll also be welcoming a sparkling early next vorn."

Where the first bit of the announcement seemed to lack shock value, this part made up for it. Starscream could see astonished expressions throughout the crowd. His trinemates grinned at him from the front of the group and he offered them a smile in return.

"It's about time you two made it official!" someone yelled from the back. There was a chorus of agreement.

"Finally, there will be a legitimate heir to the Decepticon banner!" came another exclamation. This was met with a round of applause.

Starscream exchanged a slightly surprised glance with Megatron. The warlord shrugged as if to say, I never expected this, either. Then he leaned down and to more thunderous applause, kissed his mate in full view of the entire army.

"That went well," Megatron commented some time later as he and Starscream strolled leisurely along the outskirts of the base. They'd left the army celebrating on the parade grounds, an impromptu party that had been thrown together in the wake of Megatron's brief announcement. The sounds of mechs making merry could still be faintly heard here on the other side of the compound.

"Yes, it did," Starscream agreed. "Better than I could have hoped. Who would have thought they'd be happy?"

Megatron chuckled. "I was expecting the worst."

"Me too." Starscream grimaced. "As in a riot or assassination attempts."

Megatron laughed aloud. "I didn't think it would be quite that terrible."

Starscream shrugged. "You know me. I'm always waiting for the world to end."

Megatron grew serious. "Yes, I know," he said solemnly. "And that's largely my fault. You never used to be that way. Sometimes I think that I ruined you."

"You didn't ruin me," Starscream insisted, catching Megatron's gaze and holding it. "When I became your second, I was still young and naïve. I''m much older and wiser now."

"Still," Megatron said quietly, turning to face the Seeker, "I'm sorry for the way I've treated you."

It was a simple, honest apology full of unspoken volumes, all of which Starscream understood perfectly. Yet another thing he never thought he'd ever hear from his master. Starscream smiled sadly.

"Apology accepted." It was all he needed to say. He had no wish to relive the past; on the contrary. He was ready to move on, ready to embrace these new beginnings in his life and never look back. After all, neither of them could change what had come before, no matter how much they might want to.

To Starscream's utter astonishment, Megatron was beginning to look as though he would break down in an emotional display like the one the Seeker himself had had just that morning. The second-in-command cast about for something appropriate to say, if there was such a thing in a situation like this.

"Today was a good day. Let's not ruin it by talking about the past."

Megatron visibly pulled himself together and stood up straighter. "You're right," he agreed.

Starscream sidled up close to Megatron, his expression turning roguish. "I can think of a few things we can do to make this day even better," he purred, pressing himself against Megatron and dragging a fingertip down the larger mech's chestplate. "Let's go break in our new quarters."

Starscream could easily see the heat in Megatron's gaze when the warlord looked down at him. Megatron's arms slid around the jet's waist, his fingertips coming up to fondle the base of Starscream's wings. The Seeker moaned softly and slipped his fingers under the edges of Megatron's chestplate, teasing the sensitive wiring underneath, coaxing a groan from him.

"I'd like nothing better, but they're not finished," Megatron managed to get out as Starscream continued to manipulate his wiring skillfully.

"So?"

"I don't want you to see it until it's done," Megatron insisted.

Starscream froze, his expression losing its playfulness instantly. "Is that really the case, or do you just want to delay my moving in?" he demanded, tone flinty.

Megatron appeared bewildered by the sudden change in Starscream's mood. Granted, the jet had always been moody and temperamental but this seemed a bit drastic even for him. "What?" he spluttered. "No! Why would you think that?"

Starscream's claws dug into the vulnerable backside of Megatron's chestplate for a moment, causing the warlord to growl in discomfort, before the Seeker pulled away and put a little distance between them. "Oh, I don't know, Megatron. Maybe because your quarters have been under construction since the very day we bonded and they're still not done! Besides that, you won't let me near the place, let alone inside! I haven't shared a berth with you since we became mated! If you don't want me to move in, just say so and stop playing this game with me. If you don't want to deal with me, then you shouldn't have asked me to bond with you!" Starscream finished in his familiar high-pitched shriek.

Megatron stared at his mate in disbelief and the beginnings of anger. "You're jumping to conclusions, Starscream!" he exclaimed. "Listen to yourself!"

Starscream huffed indignantly. "How typical of you to turn the blame on me!" he snapped.

Megatron held up a hand. "Just stop before I get pissed off. I don't want to fight with you right now."

"I knew this would happen!" Starscream cried, throwing his hands up in the air, caught up in his demented chain of reasoning. He clearly hadn't heard Megatron. "I knew this was too good to be true! Primus, I'm such a fool! I actually thought we had a chance together." The Seeker barked out a harsh, bitter laugh. "I should know better. I'm so stupid!"

Megatron reached out to grasp Starscream by the upper arms. "Shut up!" he said sharply, giving his second a solid shake. "You might be delusional but you're not stupid. You weren't wrong about us."

Starscream spitted Megatron with his most murderous look, optics narrowed and fangs bared. "Don't touch me!" he hissed, shaking off his master's grip. "I know when I'm not wanted, Megatron."

With that, the jet turned on his heel and stomped off. Megatron watched him go, feeling confused and drained. What was that all about? He couldn't quite figure out what Starscream had truly been upset about. He'd gone from being happy and playful to venomous and angry in as much time as it took a human to blink. Was this what Megatron had to look forward to until the sparkling came? The mere thought made him feel weary.

Megatron keyed his comm and called for Hook to meet him by the armory. The medic responded briskly and Megatron only had to wait for a few breems.

"What's the problem, Lord Megatron?" Hook wanted to know as soon as he was within earshot of his master.

Megatron hurriedly explained what had happened. "I don't know what to think," he confessed. "Is this normal?"

Hook was nodding. "I'm not worried, so you shouldn't be either. The Commander's behavior is perfectly normal. Don't take it too personal, my lord. It's all hormones." The corner of Hook's mouth turned up in an ironic smile.

Megatron sighed. "I don't need to deal with this pettiness right now. We go into battle against Prime and the Autobots tomorrow." Megatron was glad now that he hadn't mentioned this fact to Starscream. The fact that he'd decided not to take his mate along would have only made things worse.

Hook shrugged. "So don't deal with it. Let Commander Starscream stew for awhile and sleep it off. He'll be fine tomorrow." Hook paused. "And I stand behind your decision not to allow him to fight. No matter what he threatens to do to me."

Megatron smiled wearily and clapped Hook on the shoulder as he walked past the other mech. "Thanks." He had a feeling he'd need the back-up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! A big thank you to everyone who has favorited and reviewed this story. I wasn't expecting such a positive reaction! Thanks again!**

Very early the next morning, Starscream emerged wearily from the refresher to find his trinemates awake and busy. This alone was surprising but the fact that they were currently occupied with weapons checks and equipment scans was even more surprising. The trineleader stopped short in the doorway, taking in the sight. The other two didn't seem to notice him, engrossed as they were, until he spoke.

"What are you two doing?"

Skywarp glanced up and grinned at Starscream. "Oh, hey Screamer!" he greeted his trineleader. "We're just getting ready to head out with the rest of the troops."

Starscream's optics narrowed. "What do you mean, head out?"

Skywarp began to look confused. "Um, we're attacking the Autobot base today. Didn't you know?"

There was a heavy silence, then Starscream slowly shook his head. "No, no one told me." His tone was low and dangerous. "How is it that I am second-in-command of this army and I didn't know about this?"

Warp knew that tone and his expression turned to one of nervousness. He glanced over at Thundercracker for some help.

Thundercracker looked up and met Starscream's gaze. "No one informed you because Megatron decided it was in your best interest if you stayed behind. He put me in charge of the Seekers in your place." Thundercracker sat back and waited for the explosion he knew would come.

Starscream instantly forgot about how tired and sick he was feeling. He forgot that he'd been feeling guilty about his exaggerated argument with Megatron the previous night. This time his reaction had nothing to do with hormones.

"WHAT?" he roared, the sheer volume of his voice causing his trinemates to cringe and dampen their audio sensors. Starscream was across the room and out the door in a blur before Thundercracker could stop him, stalking off down the corridor toward the command center.

"Blast!" Thundercracker exclaimed. "He's on the war path. Come on!" Thunder jumped up and pulled Skywarp with him and they rushed out, dashing off after their raging trineleader.

Megatron could hear Starscream coming several breems before his second-in-command actually burst into the room. The warlord sat back in his throne and heaved a sigh. One part of him had hoped beyond all reason that he and the troops could make a clean getaway before Starscream got wind of his exclusion, but the larger, more sensible part of him had expected this. Still, it didn't make his mate any easier to deal with.

"First I hear of a battle I knew nothing about and then Thundercracker tells me you've decided I should stay behind and that you've put him in charge of _my_ troops!" Megatron had to admit that Starscream was a sight to behold when he was angry, his wings quivering and optics blazing. "What is the meaning of this, Megatron?"

Thundercracker had slid into the room just in time to hear his name mentioned. "I didn't ask to be leader in your place," he blurted out, trying to deflect his leader's anger away from him.

"Shut up!" Starscream barked without even glancing over. His fiery gaze remained on Megatron, obviously waiting for an explanation.

Megatron rose and stepped down from the dais, coming close to his mate. "Let's not argue in front of everyone, hmm? Let's take this somewhere else."

"Why bother?" Starscream snapped. "It's not like they haven't heard us fight before."

"This is true," Megatron conceded. His voice dropped even lower. "I didn't think you'd want to talk about your, um, condition in front of the troops."

Starscream glowered at Megatron. "So that's what this is about?"

"Yes," Megatron said. "Hook recommended you not go to battle and I took his advice."

"Why?" Starscream demanded hotly. "It's not like I'm suddenly incompetent."

"No. But Hook said it's still early enough in your cycle that stress and injuries from combat could cause you to lose the sparkling."

That gave Starscream pause. It was true he didn't want to endanger the sparkling but the whole thing still rankled. "You still should have talked to me about this," he said firmly. "I don't appreciate others making my decisions for me."

Megatron looked him in the optics. "I'm not giving you a choice," the warlord stipulated. "You're staying here. That's an order."

Starscream said nothing, only glared at his mate. Megatron dared to lean over and plant a quick kiss on the Seeker's helm. "It's for your own good, and I know you're smart enough to know that."

Starscream crossed his arms over his canopy and nodded once, grudgingly. Megatron smiled. "Good. Now that we understand each other, we've got to be on our way. Soundwave is coming with me, so you're in charge of the base till I get back." With that, Megatron turned and strode off, calling for his third-in-command.

Thundercracker sidled up to his trineleader, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, Screamer."

Starscream sighed. "It's not your fault. Just do your best to get everyone back alive. Now get out of here."

Starscream didn't move until the command center had emptied except for a few low-ranking bots who were covering the duty stations. Then he went up the dais and flopped down in Megatron's throne, a deep scowl on his face. He should have known something like this would happen. He had to admit it was natural for Megatron to want to protect him and their offspring, but Starscream wasn't used to being left out of the action. He silently chided himself for not anticipating a situation like this. He hadn't paid much thought to the fact that maybe he wouldn't be able to fight. That this had blindsided him didn't help his mood any.

Some time passed while Starscream brooded in silence, before he called for an audio feed from the frequency the troops were using. He could at least listen in on what he was missing.

It was obvious the attack had already begun. Megatron was calling out orders and soldiers yelled acknowledgment and screamed for backup. Every now and then, the sound of laser fire or an explosion came through on the transmissions. It all sounded pretty typical. Between them, Megatron and Soundwave seemed to have things under control.

Starscream had almost grown bored when something caught his attention. Among a wall of static, he heard Soundwave calling for a retreat. "Get Megatron!" came the third-in-command's voice. "Thundercracker, we need some covering fire." Starscream leaned forward, listening intently. Something had gone wrong.

Starscream fought back a wave of panic. Was Megatron wounded? What had happened? What was going on? He pounded a fist on the arm of the throne in frustration. Dammit. He needed to be there.

Soundwave continued to order a retreat while Megatron's voice was conspicuously missing. That meant his mate had to be wounded or unconscious. Maybe dead. The possibility made Starscream's spark beat frantically inside its chamber.

Besides that, it was obvious his Seekers were encountering trouble. It was clear to Starscream that they were taking heavy fire from the Autobots as they attempted to cover the Decepticon retreat. It sounded as though Thundercracker was just barely holding it together. Starscream could feel his wingmate's panic through their trine bond. It made him jittery, and he shifted restlessly in his chair, wings flicking about in agitation. Finally, he could sit no longer and shot up, beginning to pace along the edge of the dais.

In a moment, Thundercracker's panic became a wordless scream, echoing inside Starscream's head. Through the bond, he felt a rush of pain so strong it left him gasping and doubled over. The nearest soldier at a monitor station was at his side in a moment, appearing slightly panicked himself.

"Commander, what's wrong?"

Starscream straightened slowly and waved off the mech's helping hands. "I'm fine," he said breathlessly. "It's not me. Go back to work."

Starscream reached out through the bond, working past the pain. _Thunder?_

_Screamer! _came the reply.

_Are you okay?_

_I'm fine but Warp is hurt bad._ That explained the pain he'd felt. _We're trying to pull out but they've got us all pinned down. _

That was it. Starscream made up his mind. He would go where he was needed. _Hang on, Thunder. I'm coming out there._

_Don't! It's not worth it!_

Starscream snorted as he headed for the door. _Right. As if a life without you two would be worth living. Just keep your head down. I'll be there as fast as I can fly._

Starscream couldn't just sit back while everyone he cared about died at the hands of Autobots.

He'd deal with the consequences later.


	5. Chapter 5

**Once more, thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I am still staggered by how popular this story has gotten****!**

Starscream couldn't readily recall a time he'd flown faster. He sliced through the air, the currents flowing around him. Normally he would have let all thought drop away and just enjoyed the freedom of flight and the sensations of the atmosphere swirling over his armor, tickling the delicate sensors in his wings. But now all he could think of was Megatron and his trinemates and whether he could make it in time to help. He knew he'd never forgive himself if he were too late. He barreled ahead with a fierce determination, following the coordinates transmitting from Thundercracker's tracking signal. To a human, he would have appeared to be simply a blur streaking across the sky, moving too quickly for organic eyes to follow.

As Starscream drew closer to the Autobot base, he could see great plumes of black smoke rising up into the sky from the compound. It appeared the Decepticons had managed to inflict a great deal of damage before the tide had turned against them. Bright flashes of laser fire crisscrossed the area and a few explosions detonated, throwing clouds of dust and chunks of earth into the air.

Starscream circled a few times, trying to get a good look at the situation before diving into it. He peered through the debris and saw the main Decepticon force pinned down in a shallow ravine; he could read Soundwave's energy signature from that location. Some distance away, he could see his Seekers trapped in a similar situation. Thundercracker's signal emanated from there, and he could just feel Skywarp, very faintly. Megatron's energy signature was not to be found anywhere.

That was worrisome.

Starscream opened his comm frequency and hailed Soundwave. The third-in-command responded with no small amount of surprise. "What are you doing out here!" he demanded through the static.

"Someone had to come save the day," Starscream replied. "What's the status down there?"

"If we can get over that rise to the east we'll be fine," Soundwave told him. "None of us are seriously injured except Lord Megatron." The news made Starscream's spark lurch in panic. "If you can get your people in the air for cover, we can make it."

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." Starscream made another circle above the carnage as he formulated a plan. It didn't take him long to decide the basic approach was best. He reached out to Thundercracker in the bond.

_I'm here. How's Warp?_

Thundercracker's relief was palpable. _He's hanging on but he needs a medic as soon as possible. _

_Soundwave needs me to get you guys back in the air so here's the plan. I want you and the others to shoot off one missile apiece. Don't aim, just shoot. The dust should cover you guys enough to take off. As soon you're airborne, give Soundwave the cover he needs. I'm going to go in and distract Prime and his lackeys. As soon as they see me, they should forget about anyone else. _An ironic note had crept into Starscream's voice. He knew he was next after Megatron on the Autobot hit list.

_For Primus' sake, don't get yourself killed! _Thundercracker exclaimed.

_I won't. I'm just going to draw their fire._ When Thundercracker didn't reply right away, Starscream sighed. _Thunder, trust me. Okay?_

_Alright._

A moment later, a volley of missiles erupted from the ravine which sheltered the Seekers. The projectiles flew in all directions and detonated one after another in a chorus of cracks and booms. The Autobot firing faltered, surprised by this odd tactic. It seemed like a waste of missiles, but it had the desired effect. An enormous cloud of dust and flying dirt rose up, completely obscuring the trapped jets. As soon as Starscream saw laser fire lancing down out of the dust cloud across the Autobot ranks, he knew his troops were in the air. Below, Soundwave was taking advantage of the distraction. The Decepticon forces were rapidly retreating over the ridge and out of sight, hidden by the swirling, ever-expanding mountain of dust.

Starscream banked left sharply and dove, heading straight for Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader looked up in surprise at the sound of jet engines screaming toward him. Starscream opened fire, strafing the area all around Prime. He didn't have much interest if he hit him or not; he just wanted to keep the attention on himself.

It worked. Soon Prime and all the Autobots closest to him were firing at Megatron's second-in-command. Starscream banked this way and that, dodging most of the fire, but a few bolts got through, hitting his wings. He ignored the pain spreading through his sensors and swooped low over the Autobots, forcing them to duck. Starscream took advantage of the momentary lull in the chaos to get on his comm channel.

"Decepticons, retreat! Back to the base!"

As he pulled up and looped back around, he saw the Seekers blasting off across the sky to the east, following the ground troops. He felt a sense of relief and satisfaction; his ruse had worked. Thundercracker hung back, waiting for his trineleader to catch up. The blue Seeker was in his bot form, using his thrusters to stay airborne as he clutched a nearly comatose Skywarp in his arms. Starscream turned to take off after his squadron, when Thundercracker's voice voice rang out.

"Screamer, watch out!"

The warning came a moment too late. Pain blossomed across Starscream's left wing as laser fire cut across it, in a line so concentrated it nearly severed the wing. The Air Commander screamed in agony and lost several yards of altitude before gathering his wits enough to shoot off toward Thundercracker. A group of Autobot fliers were converging on them rapidly from behind.

Starscream had no interest in a fight just then. He only wanted to get back to the base and be sure that Megatron still lived. He realized with some incredulity that the protective instincts Hook had warned him about were beginning to kick in.

"Come on, Thunder! Let's get out of here!"

The Autobots hassled them all the way to Decepticon lines but gave up once the Seekers were inside their own territory. Starscream figured they were content with the day's triumph, saving their fight for next time.

As soon as he landed, Thundercracker headed for the medbay. Starscream switched to his bot mode before he even touched the ground and ran after his trinemates.

The medbay was busy. Hook shouted orders at his helpers, who rushed around tending to the bots with minor injuries. Thundercracker rushed in, yelling for Hook. The medic appeared instantly, looking Skywarp over. The purple and black jet was limp and unconscious in his mate's arms.

"Primus! We've got to get him in surgery before he offlines!" Hook bustled Thundercracker away toward one of the operating bays. Starscream froze on the spot, watching them go. He couldn't quite fathom the thought of Skywarp not pulling through. Starscream knew Warp was a tough mech; he hoped it would be enough this time.

Starscream hadn't moved when Hook reappeared a little while later. The medic hurried up to him, frowning. "Commander! Look at those wings! You were out fighting, weren't you? Come on, those need repaired. I'll yell at you later." He took the Seeker's elbow but Starscream didn't budge.

"How is Megatron?" he asked in a fearful whisper. He dreaded the answer.

Hook held his gaze as he spoke. "It's too soon to tell," he said honestly.

It was as Starscream had feared. Skywarp was in critical condition and Megatron might yet offline. His optics shuttered briefly, then opened and flicked over to Hook's face. "What happened?"

"From what I understand, he took a direct hit from Prime's rifle. At point blank range. Blew his spark chamber wide open." Hook shook his head. "He was extremely lucky he survived at all."

Starscream suddenly felt dizzy. His systems were raw with the pain in his wings and he was weary. He belatedly remembered he hadn't had his morning ration of Energon. Between this and the crushing reality that his mate and one of his closest friends might not live till tomorrow, it was all too much. He swayed on his feet and Hook reached out to steady him.

"Easy, Commander. You need to rest."

"How can I rest when Megatron might die?" he asked the medic, just before his world went black and his knees buckled.

"Frag!" Hook cursed in surprise and moved swiftly to catch the falling Seeker. Starscream was limp in his arms, unresponsive as the medic gave him a gentle shake. "Great. The entire command staff are dropping like flies around here," Hook muttered, using one of his favorite human phrases. He yelled for some help and an orderly rushed over.

"Help me get him to a berth," Hook instructed. "He's out cold."

Together they carried Starscream over to an empty berth and carefully laid him down. "Bring some equipment to start scans on his systems," Hook told the orderly. "Don't leave him unattended in case he wakes up. I have to go into surgery but as soon as I'm done, I'll be back to take care of his damages."

The orderly nodded. "Yes, sir." He rushed off to find an unused scanner. Hook gave the comatose Air Commander one last worried look before hurrying off to the operating bay where Skywarp was waiting.

Hook was exhausted by the time he was done operating on Skywarp. He'd managed to save the Seeker's life, though he'd nearly slipped away more than once during the lengthy surgery. He didn't have any doubts that Skywarp would make a full recovery, which was more than he could say for Lord Megatron...and then there was Starscream.

When Hook drug himself over to the berth where he'd left the Seeker commander, he was dismayed to see that the mech still hadn't awakened. The orderly sat in a chair nearby, diligently studying the results of the scans that had been run.

"Any change?" Hook asked as he drew near.

The orderly looked up and shook his head. "None, sir. He hasn't so much as twitched."

Hook sighed. "Alright. Get my tools."

The orderly put aside his datapad and dashed off. Hook picked up the device and checked over the scan results. They showed nothing unusual, just the damage to his wings. Hook tossed the datapad down on the chair as the orderly returned with the CMO's tool bag.

Hook had just gotten his welding torch warmed up when Knockout appeared on the opposite side of the berth. Hook jolted slightly in surprise.

"Why don't you announce yourself next time, dammit?" he snapped at his fellow medic.

Knockout just chuckled. "Good news. Lord Megatron's condition has stabilized. His vitals are still fairly weak, but at least they're consistent."

Hook's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank Primus. And thank you for taking that operation for me."

Knockout shrugged. "No problem. You had your hands full with everything else going on." He studied Starscream's motionless form. "What's going on here?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Hook admitted. "He passed out just before I went in to work on Skywarp and hasn't moved since." Hook sighed again. "Between what happened with Megatron and then Skywarp, I think the stress just overloaded his systems."

Knockout was frowning. "He's carrying, right?"

"Yes. About two orns in."

"Better keep a close watch on that sparkling. His system could abort it. It's still early enough."

"Yes. I already thought of that. I don't want Lord Megatron to wake up to find that his heir has died before it was born."

Megatron wasn't sure where he was. He only knew he had to be dreaming. He seemed to be floating in some infinite blackness, weightless and drifting, forever drifting. Distant pinpoints of faint light dotted the horizon like stars. After a while, he realized they were getting closer, bigger, brighter. He wondered what they were.

Then the sounds began to reach him. They came from the direction of the lights. They were voices. He heard one he vaguely recognized as his own; but there was another, a scratchy, almost raspy voice. A spark of recognition flared inside Megatron's processor. He knew that voice. How could he not? He'd heard it for millennia now. It belonged to Starscream, his second-in-command.

His mate.

That was when Megatron realized the points of light weren't stars, but scenes from his life playing themselves out. His memories. He drifted among them, looking around in a mixture of curiosity and wonder. Nearly every scene held an image of Starscream. He saw the day they'd bonded and he remembered with a pang what it was like to kiss the beautiful Seeker. It was dangerous and glorious and perfect. Starscream's lips were like the best of contradictions, tender and passionate yet demanding and forceful.

Megatron suddenly missed his Seeker so much it hurt. He wanted to go home, back to his mate. He had to go back. He had to survive. For Starscream.

When Megatron awoke, a whole week had passed since his surgery. The first thing he was aware of was that he was in the medbay, in one of the small rooms Hook kept critical or long-term patients in for observation. Then he turned his head slowly, his neck cables stiff. Hook was standing beside his berth, reading a datapad.

"Hook," Megatron croaked.

The medic's optics widened. "Lord Megatron! You're awake!" A joyous smile stretched across his face.

"What happened?" Megatron asked in a hoarse whisper.

"You nearly died in battle, my lord," Hook said solemnly. "We just managed to save your life."

Megatron was trying to remember, but the memories were faint. The only thing he could really recall was leaving his second at the base and then heading out to Autobot territory. Megatron looked around the room, but it was only himself and Hook present.

"Where is Starscream?" Megatron demanded in a tone that was somewhat stronger.

Immediately, Hook looked uncomfortable. He shifted nervously and wouldn't meet his master's optics. "Commander Starscream is, um, unwell, Lord Megatron."

Megatron's optic ridges drew together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The day you were wounded, the Commander collapsed and has remained in stasis lock since then."

"Why?"

Hook struggled to explain without alarming or angering his master. "Well, you see, Skywarp was also badly wounded that day and I think the stress of having both him and you on the brink of offlining was just too much for the Commander. What with carrying and already being in a fragile emotional state." Hook paused. "And he had some injuries of his own." Those alone shouldn't have been enough to put Starscream into stasis lock, but combined with everything else, they had certainly contributed to it.

Megatron grew even more confused. "How did he get wounded? I ordered him to stay behind, didn't I?"

Hook nodded. "Yes, my lord. You did. Commander Starscream disobeyed your orders, as he is so fond of doing." A dry note had made its way into the medic's voice.

Megatron processed this but couldn't bring himself to be angry. Just as he wasn't interested in the details right now. He just wanted to know if his mate was going to be alright. He fixed Hook with a steady gaze. "Is he in danger of offlining?"

Megatron couldn't deny the fear that was turning his spark cold. He couldn't lose Starscream now, not when he'd finally, truly found him.

"His condition is stable," Hook replied.

Megatron eyed the medic suspiciously. "How do I know you're not lying?"

Hook sighed. "You don't need this kind of stress right now, my lord." His expression became stern. "You need to focus on your own recovery."

"I want to see him."

"Sir-"

"Hook," Megatron growled. "I need to see him. I'll worry about him more if I don't."

The two stared at each other for a long moment, Megatron's gaze almost pleading while Hook decided. Megatron was not used to asking another bot's permission for anything, but he was in Hook's care and he knew the CMO's directives overrode even a supreme commander's orders when it came to a patient's welfare. It wasn't as simple as merely ordering Hook to allow him to see Starscream.

Finally, Hook sighed and nodded. "Alright. But not for long. You need to rest."

Hook stuck his head out into the hallway and called for an orderly, who came almost immediately. Together, they eased their master out of bed slowly and carefully. Megatron couldn't help being a bit embarrassed at needing their aid, but his body was stiff and sore and weak, and his legs trembled when he stood up. He doubted he could have remained upright without Hook's steadying hands.

They left the small room and made their way down the hall. Megatron felt as though he were learning to walk all over again, his concentration entirely taken by the task. He stopped short when Hook paused at the last door on the left.

"Right here, my lord." Hook raised a hand and knocked softly on the door. A moment passed, then the door opened to reveal a tired-looking Knockout with a datapad in hand. His optics widened when he saw Megatron.

"My lord!" He bowed hastily.

Megatron waved off the formality. "I wish to see my mate."

"Of course, Lord Megatron." Knockout stepped back and Hook guided the warlord into the room. Knockout sent the orderly back to work and quietly closed the door.

Megatron's spark clenched at the sight that greeted him. Starscream lay stretched out on the berth, arms at his sides, optics dark. His normally shiny armor was dull in the way typical of a mech who was unwell. His red was muted, the white dingy. But what was most chilling was how absolutely still he was; Starscream was a creature of motion. Now not even his wings twitched. It was obvious his wings had been recently repaired; the weld lines still appeared fresh. The wounds sustained in last week's battle, no doubt.

"How's he doing?" Hook asked his fellow medic quietly.

"Nothing has changed. His vitals are stable," Knockout replied, sounding weary. "Everything appears normal."

Megatron could only take small comfort in this news, as he stood on unsteady legs and stared down at his mate. It just seemed wrong to see Starscream laying there like that, so motionless. So lifeless. Megatron shook off Hook's grip and stepped closer to the berth. Reaching out, he took Starscream's limp hand in his own and just held it. The warlord was surprised when he realized coolant was welling up and beginning to leak out the corners of his crimson optics. He hadn't wept since he was a sparkling, millennia ago. He hadn't thought himself capable of feeling this deeply anymore. But it seemed the war hadn't completely crushed his soul.

Megatron leaned down and lightly kissed his second's helm. "Starscream," he whispered. "My little Seeker. I came back to you. Now come back to me."

When Megatron straightened, Hook touched his arm, getting his attention. "My lord, you need to rest now. I'll inform you immediately if the Commander's condition changes."

Megatron just nodded and allowed himself to be led away.


	6. Chapter 6

Megatron sighed and tossed aside his datapad in frustration. He couldn't concentrate. He'd been trying to review reports and the supply inventory all morning and it just wasn't working. Two days had passed since he'd woke and already he was restless, eager to get up and back to his normal routine. But Hook insisted on keeping him in the medbay for another week. So Megatron had figured if he had to be bedridden, it would be a perfect opportunity to get caught up with his paperwork. Except for one small problem: he couldn't stop thinking about Starscream.

The second-in-command's condition had not changed. He was still firmly and deeply in stasis lock.

A rap at the door of his little room caught Megatron's attention. "Enter!" he called. The door opened and Soundwave walked in.

Megatron was somewhat surprised and a little alarmed to see his third-in-command. "What's wrong?" the warlord asked immediately, sitting up straighter.

Soundwave stopped an arm's length from the berth. "Nothing is wrong," he replied tonelessly.

Megatron relaxed a bit. "Good. Then what do you need, Soundwave?"

"Soundwave needs nothing," came the reply. "Soundwave has a battle report for you."

"Oh, right." Megatron settled back. "How many troops did we lose?"

"Report: zero fatalities. Two major casualties, undocumented number of minor casualties."

Megatron nodded, knowing the two major casualties referred to were himself and Skywarp. "Go on."

Soundwave continued in his monotonous tone. "Estimated 62% damage to Autobot facility. Retreat ordered after you were wounded. Ground and aerial forces trapped by Autobots. Commander Starscream arrived at scene and created diversion which allowed retreat to be successful."

Megatron was intrigued by the vague report. He nodded thoughtfully as Soundwave stood silently, awaiting his master's response. Finally, Megatron looked up at his third. "Is that all?" Soundwave nodded.

"Alright. Thank you, Soundwave. Please have Thundercracker report to me here."

"Yes, Lord Megatron." With that, Soundwave left the room as quietly and unobtrusively as he'd come.

A short time later, another knock came at the door. This time it was Thundercracker. The blue Seeker looked tired and worried, and Megatron could well imagine why. He was taking care of things with the Seekers in Starscream's absence and probably wasn't getting much in the way of recharge between all the paperwork and worrying about the two bots he was closest to.

"Lord Megatron." Thundercracker snapped off a quick salute.

"How is Skywarp?"

Thundercracker smiled a little. "He's recovering quite well. Eager to be back to work. And you, my lord?"

"Restless." Megatron motioned to a chair nearby. "Sit. I have some questions to ask you."

Thundercracker sat heavily, as if his legs had been just barely holding him up. "What would you like to know?"

"I want to know about the battle. I lost consciousness after Prime shot me. What happened after that?"

Thundercracker took a deep breath and began recounting the events of that day. He told the story without expression until he got to the part where Starscream showed up. Then a pained look settled on his handsome features as he proceeded to explain about Starscream's plan and how it had worked so well.

Megatron nodded proudly. "He is a clever one."

"Yes," Thundercracker agreed. "If hadn't been for him, showing up when he did, I doubt any of us would have made it out."

A solemn silence fell between them as they both pondered all that had happened. Finally, Megatron looked up. "Thank you, Thundercracker," he said quietly. "That's all I wanted. You may go."

Thundercracker rose and headed for the door. He paused halfway out of the room. "Lord Megatron?"

"Yes?"

"When Screamer wakes up, please don't punish him too harshly for disobeying your orders."

"I won't," Megatron promised. "I will just be thankful to have him back."

It was deep in the night when Megatron woke groggily from his recharge to hear the sounds of running feet and frantic voices passing by his door. He instantly snapped to full alertness, wondering what was going on. Sounds like those in a medbay were never a good thing.

Megatron slipped out of bed and made his way to the door, opening it just enough to peer out. The hallway lights were on and their harsh glare made him squint. As his optics adjusted, he saw Hook running down the corridor toward Starscream's room. Knockout's voice came from inside.

"Hook, get in here! I need you!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Hook shouted back and then disappeared into the room a moment later.

Megatron's vents hitched. Had Starscream finally woke up? He knew bots coming out of stasis lock sometimes tended to be unruly, thrashing about and even attacking those nearby. Were the medics trying to restrain him? Or was something else wrong?

Curious and a bit concerned, Megatron slipped out the door and crept down the hall. The door to Starscream's room was flung wide open. Megatron stopped and hung back just out of sight, watching the scene inside unfold.

The two medics were working in a frenzy, stepping and reaching around each other for equipment they needed. Starscream lay as still as ever, but there was obviously something very wrong with him. Even as Megatron watched, the muted shades of color in his mate's armor drained rapidly away, fading to a light gray. This seemed to alarm the medics a great deal.

"Frag!" Knockout cursed. "His Energon levels are dropping faster than the drip can replace them." He gestured to the IV that ran into the Seeker's arm.

"What is going on?" Hook cried in frustration, casting a datapad aside violently. "He cannot die on us. He just can't. Where is all that Energon going?"

Knockout was intently watching a monitor screen as lines of information scrolled across it. Suddenly, he pointed at the screen. "There! It's the sparkling. It's draining his Energon reserves."

Hook nodded. "Trying to keep itself alive while killing its carrier."

The words made Megatron's spark go cold with fear. He had never thought something like this could happen. It was just opposite of what the medics had feared; instead of Starscream's systems rejecting the sparkling, the tiny being was draining the life from its carrier. His hands balled into fists at his sides as he watched the medics waste precious moments as they tried to decide what to do.

"What options do we have?" Hook asked hurriedly. "It won't do any good to pump more Energon into his system. The sparkling will just continue to take it."

Knockout nodded in agreement. "What if we cut off the supply to the sparkling?"

Hook appeared shocked. "That might kill it!"

"Which death would you rather explain to Lord Megatron?" Knockout demanded as he turned to rummage through a tray of tools. "If we do this, we can save one of two, at least. Starscream's built to carry. They can have another sparkling."

That seemed to convince Hook. Megatron didn't like the idea of either his mate or his offspring offlining, but if he had to choose, it would be the sparkling. He just couldn't bear the thought of existing in a universe without Starscream. He trusted the medics' judgment on this one.

Now that a course of action had been decided upon, the medics worked swiftly. They had Starscream's chestplates unbolted and set aside in moments and then they were opening his spark chamber, using a coding device to override the codes which kept the chamber sealed shut to all except its owner. Even from his place just outside the room, Megatron could see the pale blue light from his mate's spark shining outward.

The next few breems passed in relative quiet, the only sounds those of the medics working and monitors beeping. Megatron had no idea what they were doing, but they were digging around in Starscream's spark chamber with long, thin, sharp-looking instruments. Finally, they paused, as though waiting.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Megatron saw some color come back into Starscream's armor. He assumed that was a good sign and sagged in relief. The medics seemed relieved too.

"It worked," Hook said gratefully as he removed his instruments.

"Luckily," Knockout said as he closed the Seeker's spark chamber. "Now if only he would wake up. If he woke up, we could save the sparkling too."

Megatron hadn't realized he'd moved into the doorway until Hook glanced up and exclaimed, "Lord Megatron! What are you doing out of bed?"

"I heard noise and came to see what was happening," the warlord replied. "Is everything alright?"

"It should be," Hook replied with a tiny smile. "We had to clamp off the sparkling's feeding line. It was draining the Commander's Energon reserves too quickly." Hook met his master's gaze steadily. "You should know that the sparkling most likely won't survive unless the Commander wakes up within a day or two. The sparkling has some energy reserves that will last about that long. If he regains consciousness before those reserves run out, we can reattach the feeding line." He didn't have to add that while Starscream remained in stasis lock, his systems were only running at minimum power and would be easily overwhelmed by the sparkling's draw if the feeding line were reattached sooner.

Megatron nodded. "I understand. You did what you had to. Thank you."

Both medics looked surprised before their expressions became relieved. Megatron knew they had been afraid he'd be furious. It wasn't that he wasn't upset; but he was smart enough to know that it wouldn't do any good to get angry with the medics. They could only do what they could with limited options.

"Lord Megatron, please go back to bed," Hook implored. "You shouldn't be up. The immediate danger here is over."

Megatron sighed. "Inform me if there's any change."

Hook nodded. "Of course, sir. Knockout and I will be trading watches, so one of us will always be here if you need anything."

Megatron nodded and headed for the door. Halfway into the corridor, the warlord paused and looked back at the medics. Seeing him hesitating, Hook asked, "What is it, Lord Megatron?"

"Has anyone ever gone into stasis lock and never woken up?"

There was silence for a long moment as Hook and Knockout exchanged glances. They both appeared stunned by the very idea. It seemed as though this possibility had never crossed either of their minds.

"Not that I know of," Hook said faintly.

Knockout shook his head. "Nope, never heard of that happening. Sooner or later, everyone has to wake up."

Megatron nodded thoughtfully and headed back to his room without another word, praying to Primus Knockout was right. Prayer was just one more thing he hadn't indulged in since before the war. There had been a time when Megatron had believed in the ways of Primus but warfare left room for little else besides killing and destruction. As the ages passed, he had seen more and more things, horrible things, which had made him doubt the existence of any deity. He'd even instigated some of those horrible things. In his lowest, darkest moments, when all hope seemed lost, Megatron sometimes believed his soul was beyond saving. Which made it all the more surprising that he'd managed to find love amongst this mess of a war he and Prime had made.

But Starscream made him think of the future and believe that maybe one day the war would end, gave him hope that Cybertron could be rebuilt. That all Cybertronians could live together in peace once more, sharing their homeworld in harmony. It had been ages since he'd even had fleeting thoughts of this sort. The war had fully consumed him for so long, but now he found his processor turning more and more to these subjects.

Belatedly, Megatron wondered if Prime would ever agree to a ceasefire.

Starscream really was changing him. And he didn't mind it one bit.


	7. Chapter 7

He had to escape this place he was in, a place that was neither here nor there, but somewhere in between. He'd been in this void for awhile. He had no idea how long it had actually been, as time didn't seem to exist here. In fact, there wasn't much of anything. Starscream only knew that the longer he remained in this place, the harder it became to remember the life he had had. Yet he fought to recall the faces of those whom he cared for.

He tried to remember Thundercracker's deep, rolling voice and Skywarp's ringing laughter. He tried to recall how it felt to be close to them, secure in their presence, knowing they would always be there if he needed them. He tried to remember his master's face, the feel of his arms, the taste of his lips. He clung to the memory of the passion, the love between them. It was the only thing that burned so brightly in his darkness.

On the heels of this memory came the question he hadn't wanted to ask, but knew he must eventually. Had Megatron died?

Once formed, it was the only thought Starscream had. The same thought over and over again, like an audio track on a continuous loop, hammering into his processor. There was no escaping it, but somehow he knew he had to. He had a life to return to, a mate, a trine. A sparkling on the way.

He was so done with this place.

Starscream struggled toward consciousness but it was hard. His systems simply wanted to stay powered down. But he would have none of that. His reprieve was over. He would have to face the world sooner or later. It was time to wake up.

When his optics onlined, his view of the world was blurry at first. A bit at a time, his sight cleared and he took in his surroundings. He recognized the room as one of those attached to the medbay which Hook used to observe patients. What in the name of Cybertron was he doing in here? He tried to remember what had happened. It took a moment before the memory came to him.

Megatron. He had to find Megatron.

Starscream tried to move, to get up out of the berth, but his body merely twitched. He groaned in frustration and tried again. This time his limbs responded. They were clumsy and felt awkward but at least they were working.

Starscream felt hands clamp onto his wrists and pin his arms down. Next came a weight on his chest, holding him still. The Seeker only commenced to struggle harder against these bonds. He was weak, oh so weak, compared to these who tried to hold him captive, but he was driven by one goal: He had to find Megatron.

Megatron had finally managed to divert his thoughts away from his mate long enough to get nearly caught up on his paperwork. It was monotonous and boring, but it had to be done eventually. If he didn't get it done now, he'd just have to do it later. With that rationalization firmly in mind, he had forced himself to the task.

He was nearly done by midday. Just a handful more reports to review and then he could afford to let it begin to pile up again, starting tomorrow at morning briefing. Megatron was so engrossed in his work, that when the ruckus broke out down the hall, he didn't immediately hear it. The sounds drifted in through his open door, but he blocked them out, ignoring the yelling. Until he heard the one voice he knew best. The one he had been waiting to hear for days now.

It was Starscream, and he sounded very much awake and very pissed off.

"Get off me!" he was shrieking at a painful volume. "Don't touch me, you fraggers! I need to find Megatron! Let me up!"

Then came Knockout's voice, "Lord Megatron! We need you down here!"

Megatron was already out of bed by the time Knockout had called for him, tossing his datapad behind him and dashing out the door and down the hall. He hadn't moved so quickly at any time in recent memory. He barreled through the doorway of his mate's room to see Hook and Knockout on either side of the berth, attempting to restrain Starscream as he thrashed and threw himself about on the berth, trying to escape their grip, all the while screeching indignantly.

Megatron rushed to the bedside, half pushing Hook out of the way. The warlord reached out and placed his large hands on the Seeker's chestplates, putting little effort into immobilizing the smaller mech as he leaned over him.

"Starscream," he said quietly.

That was all it took to get the Seeker's attention. Starscream's optics were bright as they focused on the warlord. Immediately, he stopped struggling and fell quiet.

Suddenly a face appeared above him. A very familiar face.

Megatron. Alive and well. At his side.

Starscream sagged in relief. "You're alive," he croaked, his voice even rougher than normal.

Megatron smiled. "I'm glad you're finally awake. Welcome back. And yes, I'm alive."

Coolant immediately began to leak from the corners of Starscream's optics. Knockout had stepped away from the berth, and now he and Hook exchanged surprised glances. Neither of them had ever seen the Air Commander weep. "I was so afraid you wouldn't make it," Starscream said shakily as he swiped at the falling coolant with an unsteady hand. "It would be just like you to finally admit you love me and then go and die on me."

The warlord smiled at that. "Well, I almost did." Megatron reached out and wiped away his mate's tears with a tender hand. "Prime nearly got me that time." His voice dropped lower and a smolder came into his crimson optics. "I dreamed of you while I was unconscious. I fought hard to come back to you."

Starscream smiled as a fresh wave of tears overflowed. "I'm glad you did."

"I love you, my little Seeker." Megatron leaned down and kissed his second softly. "But don't ever scare me again the way you have."

At Starscream's questioning glance, the warlord explained. "When I woke up after surgery, I expected to see you at my side but you weren't. Hook told me the stress of everything that had happened had been too much and you'd collapsed and hadn't come to yet. I heard about what you did, disobeying my orders and all." He gave his mate a stern look, before softening and continuing. "Thundercracker came to see me and said if you hadn't shown up, they might never have gotten out at all. So I'm thankful you disobeyed me. This time."

Starscream smiled a little. "It was an easy decision to make."

"It seems like it always is," Megatron chuckled. "By the way, Skywarp has made a full recovery."

"Thank Primus," Starscream murmured.

"As for you," Megatron went on, "you didn't wake up." Megatron paused and his voice dropped even lower. "If you hadn't woke up by now, you would have lost the sparkling."

Starscream gasped in surprise, his hand flying up to touch his chestplate. "Is it damaged?"

Hook cleared his throat. "No, Commander. The sparkling still functions, but we had to detach its feeding line. It was draining your Energon and killing you, so we had to make a choice. We did that nearly two cycles ago, and it had enough reserves to last that long. You've woke up just in time. Now that your systems are running at full power, it is imperative that we reattach the sparkling's line."

Starscream nodded. "Then do it and quickly. I don't want to lose the little one."

Hook and Knockout immediately sprang into action, grabbing up the same instruments they'd used before when they'd detached the line. Working quickly, they had Starscream's armor removed and his spark chamber open in a matter of breems. Megatron stepped out of their way but refused to leave the bedside.

Starscream looked nervous at having his spark bared for all to see, but once the medics began to work, his fangs appeared and he hissed in discomfort. Megatron squeezed his mate's fingers as Starscream fidgeted.

"Commander!" Knockout snapped. "Please lie still."

"I'm trying!" Starscream replied indignantly. "But it burns!"

"It's just the lines fusing back together," Hook murmured, staring down intently, hardly moving. A moment passed, then the CMO smiled. "That should do it." He withdrew his tools and Knockout did the same, much to Starscream's relief. They had his spark chamber closed and armor back on just as quickly as they'd taken it off.

Hook picked up his datapad and watched as it fed him the results of the ongoing scans on Starscream's systems. After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction. "Everything looks good, Commander. But I want to keep you here for another cycle or so, just to monitor things."

Starscream nodded. "Alright. Fine. But I want to get back to my own quarters as soon as possible."

"Of course, Commander." Hook straightened some equipment that had been jostled in the process of the Seeker's awakening. Then he turned to Knockout and motioned to the door. "We'll give you two some time alone now." With that, the medics were gone.

Megatron pulled a chair over to the berth and sat. "Tell me something, Starscream. Besides the fact that it's always been easy for you to disobey my orders and you hate being left out of the action, why did you really go out to the battlefield that day?"

"Well," Starscream began, "you know its instinct for me to protect my trinemates. And I had to make sure you got out of there." The Seeker looked up and met Megatron's gaze. "You're my mate, Megatron. I would die for you, the same as I would for Thundercracker or Skywarp." He paused and one corner of his lips quirked up in a smile. "I guess that's what love does to you."

Megatron leaned over and kissed Starscream gently but thoroughly. "I love you, Starscream. And know that I would do the same for you."

An unmistakable heat had come into the Seeker's optics. "I would never ask you to die for me," he said breathlessly.

"You don't have to ask. I'd do it anyway."

Megatron moved to sit on the edge of the berth, gazing down at his gorgeous Seeker. The warlord trailed fingertips down the smooth surface of a sweeping white wing, following the weld lines from Hook's repairs. Starscream shivered before reaching out to caress Megatron's chestplates. The warlord groaned softly as his second slipped his fingers under the edges of the armor and stroked at the wiring and circuits underneath. Megatron's grip tightened involuntarily around the edge of the jet's wing, squeezing the delicate metal. Starscream gasped and then moaned as he drew Megatron down for a kiss.

When they drew apart, Megatron understood perfectly the look in his mate's gaze. The warlord sho his head. "I don't think we should," he murmured in a tone full of regret. "I'm still healing and you just came out of stasis lock. Hook would kill us."

"Oh, who cares? He'll get over it." The Air Commander gave his master a saucy smile. "Just frag me already."

Megatron didn't have to be told twice.

When Hook stuck his head in Starscream's room later that evening, he found that Megatron hadn't yet left his mate's side. They were both deep in recharge in the berth, Megatron curled protectively around the Seeker. Hook smiled a little and then closed the door quietly before striding off down the hall. He didn't see the need to wake them.


	8. Chapter 8

Megatron stood inside the entryway of his quarters, hands resting on his hips as he gazed around, a small satisfied smile playing on his lips. Earlier that morning, he'd received a message from the Constructicons saying that his quarters had been completed the previous cycle and were ready for his inspection. The warlord had left the medbay hurriedly, eager to see the changes that had been made.

He'd gone over the plans thoroughly with the Constructicons before they'd begun working and laid out the specifics of what he'd wanted. He was pleased to see now that they had followed his instructions to the letter.

He strode forward, studying the carving in the ceiling before turning his attention to the main living area. A giant archway opened into the sunken space. On the far side, another matching archway led into the sleeping area. A new berth had been brought in, large enough to comfortably hold himself and Starscream and have extra room left over. Megatron nodded; this would do nicely.

He spoke with the Constructicon manager and expressed his satisfaction with everything before hurrying back toward the medbay. Hook had said Starscream could return to his own quarters today, but now there was no need for him to go back to sharing his space with his trinemates. Megatron smiled. Tonight he would finally get to share a berth with his mate for the first time since their bonding.

"Please, Commander, just take it easy for a few cycles," Hook implored as he reached out to steady Starscream as the Seeker put his feet on the floor for the first time since he'd woken from stasis lock. "Don't be jumping right back into your duties and wearing yourself out. I don't want to see you back in here again until your next routine checkup, do you hear me?"

"Yes, good doctor, I hear you," Starscream replied with a note of irritation. He was tired of being fussed over. He was more than ready to return to his quarters and be in comfortable, familiar surroundings.

"Good." Hook let go and stepped away as Starscream shook off his grip. The jet swayed a bit but he seemed to be finding his center of balance quickly. Starscream took a few steps toward the door.

"Oh, if Megatron comes back, just tell him I've returned to the trine's quarters," he instructed. Hook nodded.

"There's no need for you to go back there," came a voice from the doorway. Starscream turned to see Megatron standing there, grinning.

"What do you mean?" Starscream asked, appearing confused.

"My quarters are finished," Megatron replied.

Starscream's bewilderment drained away to be replaced with surprise. "You mean I can move in?!" he nearly squealed.

Megatron chuckled. "That's exactly what I mean. And you're already moved in. I took the liberty of having your things brought over from your old quarters. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all!" Starscream cried. "That's perfect!" His optics were bright with excitement. He'd been waiting for this for over two orns. His slender wings were practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Then let's go look at our new home, shall we?" Megatron extended his hand to his mate and Starscream took it with a smile.

The two walked hand in hand out of the medbay and through the base, all the way to Megatron's door. Their door now, Starscream corrected himself as the portal slid aside and admitted them inside.

Instantly, Starscream froze, staring in awe at the ceiling carving. It was the royal seal of Vos, accurate and intricate and beautiful. His vents hitched and he tore his gaze away to look at Megatron.

"How did you find this?" he asked in wonder.

Megatron gave a small shrug. "Let's just say I did some research." He smiled and tugged on Starscream's hand. "Come on. Wait till you see the rest of the place."

Megatron guided his mate through the rest of their home, all the while watching Starscream's reaction with amusement. The Seeker wore an expression of incredulity as he took in his surroundings. The rooms still smelled of fresh paint and were all bright and open, styled in the traditional Vosnian manner, all curving walls and sweeping arches. A side room off the main area had been converted into a laboratory for Starscream and all of his scientific equipment had been brought in and set up. The trinkets he'd gathered over the centuries had been displayed in a large case near the wide viewports which looked out upon the landscape outside. When they reached the bedchamber, Starscream once more found his optics riveted overhead. The ceiling here was adorned with a mural of polished chromium, displaying ancient Vosnian tribal patterns.

"I recognize these!" Starscream exclaimed in delight. "I recall seeing them on the palace walls in Vos."

"Yes," Megatron agreed. "I was able to find an image among our archives dating back before the war."

"Megatron," Starscream said, turning to gaze at the other mech, "you said you did some research. Exactly how much research?" He looked around again and shook his head in disbelief. "This is amazing. The entire place is styled after Seeker culture. It's as if I never left Vos." Starscream's tone had turned slightly wistful.

Megatron stepped close to his second, and drew him into a tight embrace. "It doesn't matter how much research I did, Screamer," he murmured. "I did it for you. That's why it took so long. I wanted everything to be perfect."

"It's beyond perfect!" Starscream enthused before turning serious. "But why do all this for me? You have to live here too."

"I knew it would make you happy," Megatron replied softly. "I know how much you've missed Vos since you left and I remember how you grieved for it when it was destroyed. I just wanted you to feel at home here." Megatron smiled a little. "Besides, I like it."

"It's beautiful," Starscream said sincerely. "Thank you." He raised his arms up and looped them around Megatron's neck before stretching up for a kiss. Megatron leaned down, meeting him halfway. Starscream's spark pounded faster as their lips met and he savored every moment of the kiss. Suddenly, all was right in his world. He was right where he belonged.

When the liplock ended, they both were cycling air rapidly. Starscream could feel the heat emanating off Megatron's frame and the desire in his optics was easy to read. Megatron leaned down and nibbled at his mate's slender neck before kissing along his jaw. "Feel like trying out our new berth, my little Seeker?" he breathed next to Starscream's audio.

Starscream was feeling a bit light-headed but he pushed it aside as a charge surged through his whole body, lighting his circuits on fire with a burning need. Megatron's lips had continued to explore his neck and then on down to his shoulder, while the warlord's large hands roved, sliding down Starscream's back to fondle his aft, then back up to his wings, where they stroked and teased. Starscream could barely think, but he still managed to gasp out a strangled reply to his master's question.

"Yes! Oh yes!"

Megatron moved swiftly, scooping the Seeker up in his arms and carrying him to their berth. Starscream found himself on his back on the wide bed, Megatron above him, strong arms planted on either side of the jet's slender torso. Starscream reached up to grip Megatron by the back of the head and pulled him down for another deep kiss. The warlord's palm slid up the length of a sweeping wing to gently pinch at its upturned tip. Starscream broke the kiss, gasping. Megatron smiled.

"Mm, you do like that, don't you?" he murmured. "Tell me if it feels good, Starscream." Megatron pinched the wingtip again, sending waves of sensation through the Seeker's entire system. Starscream moaned as his back arched up off the berth, his hands clutching at Megatron's chestplates as his claws dug into the circuitry just underneath their edges.

Megatron growled in a mix of pleasure and pain. He leaned down to nip at his mate's shoulder before moving on to kiss along the warm plating of Starscream's wing. The Seeker squirmed underneath his master, completely victim to the pleasure flowing through his frame. When Megatron reached the wingtip, he paused.

"You never did tell me if it felt good," he whispered huskily. Then he descended, closing his mouth around the wingtip and sucking at it. Starscream gasped. Megatron paused again.

"Tell me, " he demanded before reclaiming the sensitive nub with his lips and proceeding to flick at it with his glossa and lightly graze it with his dentae. Starscream cried out and bucked against Megatron.

"By Primus, yes! It feels good!" Starscream hauled his mate's lips away from his wing and kissed him passionately. "Megatron!" Starscream said roughly, desperately. "Please! I want you, right now!"

The desire in Megatron's optics flared even brighter at this request. "Of course, love. But it will be easier on you to be on top."

"I don't care," Starscream rasped out. "I just need to feel your spark."

Megatron chuckled. "In a moment," he soothed, sliding an arm under Starscream's slender waist and then proceeding to swiftly reverse their positions, so that he was now the one on his back and Starscream was now above him, straddling the warlord's hips. Megatron reached out to run his palms down Starscream's elegant thighs, sighing in appreciation.

"So beautiful," he said softly and looked up to see Starscream's chestplates already open, revealing his spark chamber. Megatron chuckled again. "And so eager."

The moment the words left his mouth, Megatron realized something had changed. Starscream's expression had morphed into one of horror, all the intense desire gone without a trace. Megatron noted with some concern that his second-in-command's faceplates were a shade paler than normal. His own desire dimmed as he reeled in the wake of this abrupt change.

"Screamer?" he asked tentatively, "Are you alright? You don't look so good."

The Seeker's chestplates snapped closed and he sat very still for a moment. Megatron studied him, trying to decipher what the issue was. A moment more passed, then Starscream murmured, "Oh Primus!," and moved in a blur, leaping from the berth and dashing for the refresher. The door slammed shut in his wake. Megatron understood. With a sigh, he crooked an arm behind his head and lay quietly, staring at the ceiling as he waited for his mate to return.

Finally, after nearly half an hour, the Seeker emerged, looking drained. He flopped down on the berth beside Megatron and joined him in staring at the mural.

"I'm sorry," he said after a breem of silence.

Megatron grunted and pushed himself up on an elbow, turning to gaze down at Starscream. "Don't be sorry," he said sternly. "You can't help it."

Starscream groaned and shuttered his optics. "I was fine until you flipped me around like that. That combined with the paint fumes in here and the usual queasiness I get in the morning was just too much."

Megatron looked apologetic. "Oops. Sorry."

"You didn't know," Starscream murmured. He made a disgusted face. "How embarrassing. What a mood killer huh?"

Megatron shrugged and leaned over to give his mate a gentle kiss. "I still think you're beautiful," he said softly.

"That's good to hear," Starscream admitted, "because I feel more and more unattractive every day."

Megatron's optic ridges drew together. "Why?"

"Maybe because I'm all hormonal and emotional and I spend all morning heaving my tanks dry," Starscream answered, a note of hysteria creeping into his voice.

"Hey, the sickness will go away in another orn or so," Megatron countered. "Hook said so."

"Yes, but I'll still be all hormonal," Starscream insisted. "How much worse will it be once I start to show? You ever think about that?"

Megatron reached out to touch Starscream's cheek, turning his face so he could look into his mate's optics. "Why are you so worried, love? Do you really think I value you for your appearance alone? You know better than that."

Starscream looked chastised. "I guess you're right," he muttered after a moment. "I'm just frustrated with all these changes going on in my body. I'm so tired of being sick but once it goes away, there goes my appeal for the next ten orns." He sighed. Now that he'd started talking, it was as if all his insecurities were just pouring forth. "I just don't want you to end up being disgusted by me."

Megatron appeared shocked by the idea. "You'll always be attractive to me, Starscream," he said sincerely. "I've never been drawn to another bot the way I am drawn to you. And it's not all thanks to your physical looks, though I do harbor a deep appreciation for them."

Starscream smiled a bit at that. "It's the wings, isn't it?"

Megatron chuckled. "Yes, but it's more than that." He reached out to drag a fingertip down the smooth amber glass of Starscream's canopy and down to his abdominal plating, where his entire hand replaced the single finger, flattening against the warm metal. "It's all of you. Every single inch." He kissed his second tenderly. "That's never going to change. I promise."


	9. Chapter 9

The polished chromium tiles twisted their way across the ceiling, forming ancient Vosnian tribal patterns as they glittered in the soft morning light slanting in through the nearby viewports. Starscream lay on his back, gazing up at the designs. The mural was the first thing he saw at the beginning of each new cycle but he never failed to appreciate its beauty. Even after having shared these quarters with Megatron for over two orns now, he was still amazed and yes, deeply moved, by the effort his mate had put into making sure every detail was accurate.

Starscream was also pleased to note that this was yet another morning he was not spending purging his tanks. After four orns of that, it was a relief to be able to recharge until after the sun had risen.

Beside him, Megatron stirred and Starscream looked over to see the warlord's crimson optics just coming online. Starscream scooted closer to Megatron and then slid a leg across the larger mech's hips, climbing atop him. Starscream rested his hands on Megatron's chestplates and smiled down at his mate.

Megatron returned the smile sleepily. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore optics," he murmured, his hands coming up to rest on Starscream's hips.

The Seeker leaned down and kissed Megatron. "Good morning, my lord," he said lightly, teasingly, as he straightened up. "I love you."

Megatron chuckled. "I love you also, my little Seeker. You really are feeling better, aren't you?"

Starscream nodded. "Yes, thankfully. It's been nearly three weeks now."

"I'm glad," Megatron said. "It was hard to watch you be miserable and not be able to do anything about it." His expression darkened slightly as he remembered.

Starscream's wings were twitching in excitement. "Do you remember what today is?"

Megatron's expression became amused. "Of course. How could I forget? You're supposed to see Hook for your check-up."

"And we get to find out if we're getting a little mech or a femme out of this ordeal," Starscream reminded.

"Ah, yes," Megatron murmured, his gaze locking with Starscream's. "I want you to know that it doesn't make any difference to me. I would love a son or a daughter the same. Either way, the sparkling is a part of you and that's what matters to me."

Starscream grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The Decepticon warlord and his second-in-command arrived exactly on time at the medbay later that morning. Hook met them at the door with a grin.

"Well, Commander, it's been awhile," the medic crowed. "I'm pleased that you took me seriously when I said I didn't want to see you back in here before today."

Starscream scowled a bit. "Yes, I took it easy like you ordered me to."

Hook laughed. "You, following orders for once? Imagine that!"

Starscream's scowl deepened. "Alright, Hook. Let's get on with this."

Hook turned back into the room, waving them after him. "Follow me."

Starscream's good humor had returned by the time the trio reached a berth in the far corner of the medbay, which had been sectioned off from the rest of the space.

Megatron studied the enclosure curiously. "What are you doing here, Hook?"

"I'm making this into a birthing space," the medic explained.

"Already?!" Starscream exclaimed. "I've still got ten orns to go."

"Yes, but that gives me plenty of time to set things up properly and to my satisfaction," Hook said. "It may come in handy in the future too, if the army decides to start reproducing."

Starscream and Megatron exchanged glances. The thought had never occurred to either of them but it wasn't all that far-fetched. Everyone knew about the relationships which occurred among the troops. Now that the two most powerful bots in the army had gone public with theirs and then announced that they were going to be creators, perhaps some of the other couples among the ranks would follow suit.

Hook was watching their silent exchange. "Neither of you even thought of that, did you?" he asked incredulously. "It's just going to be a matter of time before we begin to see the effects of this on the rest of the army. I'm not adverse to bots reproducing, but it's not exactly ideal in times of warfare. The consequences of you two deciding to have a sparkling are likely much more far-reaching than even I can imagine."

"Hey, we didn't decide to do this!" Starscream said defensively, his wings jerking in annoyance. "I didn't ask for this. It just happened! And we decided to make the best of it."

Hook appeared momentarily surprised by the outburst but he quickly schooled his expression back into smooth professionalism. "Forgive me, Commander. I meant no offense."

Starscream waved a hand dismissively. "None taken."

"Alright then," Hook said briskly. "Take a seat, Commander." He motioned to the berth.

Starscream sat on the edge of the berth as Hook turned to busy himself with his tools. Megatron stood nearby, leaning against the wall. His optics watched his mate but his processor was busy turning over the implications of what Hook had said. Carriers would have to be sidelined from combat late in their cycle, which meant depleted fighting resources. Then having a bunch of sparklings around the base would make any Autobot attack doubly disastrous for the Decepticon army as creators scrambled to save their offspring from death or abduction...Megatron knew this could very well turn into a problem he had no idea how to deal with. He couldn't very well forbid the soldiers from reproducing or from spark-merging, not when he was guilty of it himself. Besides, these types of things just happened sometimes. He and Starscream were a perfect example of that.

Finally, Megatron decided it was just as Starscream had said; they hadn't asked for this, but they had decided to make the best of it. Megatron decided that they would all just have to make the best of whatever happened, as it happened.

Megatron came out of his reverie to hear Hook saying, "Everything checks out fine, Commander. Your routine maintenance scans show nothing unusual and the scans I ran on the sparkling look good, too."

"Thank Primus," Starscream muttered, his wings dropping a few inches in relief.

Megatron stepped up next to the berth so he stood behind his mate and rested his hands on the Seeker's shoulders, squeezing lightly. "You worry too much, love," he chided gently.

"I know," Starscream sighed. "I just want everything to go smoothly from here on out."

"Just don't even think about it," Hook advised. "Your body knows what it needs, so just trust what it tells you." The medic gave first Starscream, then Megatron, a serious glance. "Now, are you sure you want to know the sparkling's gender? You don't want it to be a surprise?"

Starscream shook his head vehemently. "I want to know. The suspense would drive me crazy for the next ten orns."

"Agreed," Megatron admitted.

Hook grinned. "I think I'd be the same way. I'll just need you to lie back, Commander. Make yourself comfortable." He turned to his equipment again.

Megatron stepped back and Starscream settled back on the berth, nudging the pillows about until they cushioned his wings. Within breems, he looked comfortable enough to fall into recharge.

Hook returned to the berth with a strange device in hand. His optic ridges rose as he took in the sight of the second-in-command stretched out lazily. "Ah, I see the sparkling is beginning to make its presence known. I hadn't noticed before."

Starscream touched his midsection self-consciously. "I just noticed myself a few cycles ago," he admitted. His belly was very slightly rounded, just enough to be seen when he lay on his back.

Megatron hadn't noticed either. He stared, as it finally, truly sank in that Starscream was indeed carrying his sparkling. Sometimes it had seemed unreal, but now there was undeniable evidence. He really would be sire to a young one. The warlord sat down hard in the nearest chair.

Hook had busied himself with his device. Starscream was watching curiously. "What is that?" he finally asked.

"It's a special type of scanner used for reading unborn sparklings. It was a technology mostly lost with the start of the war. I built this one using an old medical text," Hook explained as he held up an object about the size of his fist. It was connected by a cable to an oversized datapad. "Basically, this transmitter sends out energy waves which bounce off the sparkling, feeding me an image here on the screen. At the same time it reads the little one's DNA coding, which reveals the gender."

Starscream was nodding. "Interesting. I've never heard of such a device."

Hook shrugged. "Only medics would ever really have a use for one." He drug a stool to the bedside and sat. "Just lie still and I'll let you see the image when I get it."

Starscream did as Hook asked, not moving more than a wingtip as the medic leaned over and placed the transmitter against his abdominal plating. "It'll feel a bit strange but it's just the energy waves doing their thing," Hook warned.

After a moment, Starscream felt a sort of pulsing tingle spread throughout his fuselage. It wasn't uncomfortable, just different from anything he'd felt before. A few breems passed as Hook watched his screen intently. Suddenly, the medic looked up and grinned.

"Here," he said, handing the monitor over to Starscream. "Take a look. It's definitely a mech."

Starscream took the device and stared in wonder at the slightly grainy image of a tiny bot curled up, hanging suspended in a dark sea of Energon. The sparkling's feeding line stretched away into the black edges of the screen. The Seeker felt suddenly humbled with the realization that this brand-new being was entirely dependent upon him for its life source and its protection. Starscream had been responsible for the lives of other bots under his command for millennia but this seemed somehow a larger responsibility. Soldiers could at least protect themselves; this tiny creature was completely defenseless, helpless.

Slowly, Starscream became aware of Megatron standing at his shoulder, peering at the screen. The warlord wore an expression of awe mixed with a solemn gravity and Starscream guessed his mate was having a few revelations similar to his own.

"That's amazing," Megatron breathed, as though he couldn't quite find his voice. "A son."

Starscream smiled. "Yes. Our son, Megatron."

Megatron drug his optics away from the monitor to look down at his second. Starscream's vents hitched at the mixture of deep love and fierce protectiveness he saw in his master's gaze. Megatron leaned down and captured Starscream's mouth in a searing kiss, a kiss full of promise. No words were needed; the Seeker understood perfectly. Megatron would allow no harm to come to either Starscream or their son, even if he had to sacrifice himself to ensure it.

Starscream was caught in that limbo between waking and sleeping, curled up on his side in the wide berth. He sighed contentedly as he felt Megatron's strong frame press against his back and an arm slide over his hip. The Seeker settled back against his mate and dropped off toward recharge. But he found himself unable to fully reach a peaceful state as Megatron shifted and fidgeted restlessly.

"Megatron, what's wrong?" Starscream asked quietly into the darkness.

Megatron stilled momentarily. "Am I keeping you awake? I'm sorry," came the reply.

"Never mind that. I can tell something's bothering you." Starscream moved onto his back, Megatron's arm sliding with the movement until his hand came to rest on the jet's belly.

Megatron sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"So talk to me," Starscream prodded gently.

A breem passed in silence and Starscream was beginning to think Megatron wouldn't speak, when the warlord asked hesitantly, "Screamer, do you ever think about what you'll do when the war ends?"

The Seeker was surprised by this subject matter but he quickly collected himself and answered honestly. "I used to, centuries and centuries ago, but as the war dragged on I thought about it less and less. Now I can't really seem to imagine life without the war. I'm not saying it wouldn't be a welcome change, but we've lived with it for so long..." Starscream trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"That it seems as though it will never end," Megatron finished quietly.

"Yes," Starscream agreed. He paused and then asked, "Why are you asking me this?"

Megatron didn't answer right away. Starscream waited silently. Finally, his mate began to explain.

"Today in the medbay, it really hit me that we're doing this creator thing. I saw our son on that screen and all I could think of was how I have to protect both of you. And then I realized, how am I going to do that in the midst of a war? Especially a war that never ends?"

Starscream absorbed this in silence. He had never believed he would ever hear Megatron speak of an end to the war. "There is no easy answer to that question," Starscream murmured. He scooted closer to Megatron and rolled over onto his side again. "We both need to get some recharge. The sparkling is safe inside me and I am perfectly safe in your arms, so there's no need to worry right now."

A moment later, Starscream felt Megatron kiss his neck. He was quickly lost to recharge, a smile on his lips. Megatron lay awake, lost in thought, for the rest of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

**So I decided to reward all of you following this story with some stickiness (finally!) and I only hope it doesn't suck too badly. This is setting up the for the next plot twist and seemed like a good place to throw in some mech lovin'. Thanks for all the support guys, and keep it coming. Reviews make me squeal like a little girl! Enjoy! **

Starscream and Thundercracker stood next to each other at the edge of the landing pad just inside the perimeter of the base, optics riveted to the sky, waiting. Thundercracker was still and calm, his expression unhurried, as placid as ever. Beside him, Starscream fidgeted, his wings flicking about, as impatient as ever.

"Where are they?" the red and white Seeker demanded in annoyance. "They're late."

Thundercracker reached over and gently caught the end of a twitching wing in his hand. "Hey, calm down, Screamer," he soothed, rubbing his thumb lightly in circles over Starscream's wingtip. "They'll be back soon enough."

Starscream sighed and slowly his other wing became still. He inched closer to his trinemate until their hips just touched, taking comfort in Thundercracker's solid, steady presence. He shot Thundercracker a sideways glance.

"How can you be so calm? You haven't seen Warp in weeks. I'm more anxious than you, and he's not even my mate!"

Thundercracker smiled in amusement. "Don't think I'm not anxious to see him," the blue Seeker replied laughingly. "I'm just better at hiding it than you are. You've always been as easy to read as a noncoded datapad, Screamer."

Starscream scowled a bit, which made Thundercracker laugh. The sound was drowned out a moment later by the roar of a dropship rapidly approaching from the western horizon. Within breems, the transport had landed, settling on its landing struts solidly and the engines shutting down with a soft whine. A moment later, the loading ramp had descended with a hiss and the troops had begun trickling out. The ground soldiers came first, looking weary and dirty. Some of them were patched with field repairs; they headed straight for the direction of the medbay. Finally, the fliers appeared. Starscream counted them as they left the ship; an entire squadron of his Seekers had volunteered for this mission behind enemy lines. Some of them were pretty banged up but they were all accounted for. Starscream breathed a sigh of relief.

Skywarp came down the ramp last, limping slightly and missing half his paint, but otherwise intact. He'd volunteered to go along as the squadron commander. Starscream had been unsure about placing that much responsibility on his shoulders, but he saw now that he need not have worried. Skywarp had done his job and brought all the Seekers home alive.

"Warp!" Thundercracker cried, leaving his trineleader's side and bolting forward. He met his mate at the bottom of the ramp, sweeping Skywarp up into a tight embrace. Their lips met in a passionate kiss borne of being apart for nearly an orn. Starscream glanced away, giving them some privacy.

He was occupied with absently picking at his knuckle joints when Skywarp rushed him, throwing his arms around his trineleader with a joyful shout. Starscream jerked in surprise before returning his friend's hug.

"I missed you, Screamer," Skywarp said before planting a kiss on Starscream's mouth.

Starscream chuckled. "Missed you too, Warp."

Skywarp stepped back and reached for Thundercracker's hand, holding on tightly. The black and purple Seeker's optics widened as he looked his trineleader up and down.

"Look at you! You didn't look like that when I left," he exclaimed, motioning with his free hand at Starscream's rounded belly.

Starscream scowled and crossed his arms over his canopy. "Yes, I did."

"Well, I guess," Skywarp conceded. "But you weren't quite that...round."

"Careful, Warp," Thundercracker warned with a small smile. "Our Screamer has become quite touchy when it comes to his waistline."

This only made Starscream's scowl grow deeper as a flush of embarrassment crept into his faceplates.

"No need for that, Screamer," Skywarp assured him. "It's not like you're getting any wider." Skywarp's optics swept over Starscream's form once more, deliberately and blatantly checking him out. He gave the other Seeker a saucy grin. "You're still sexy, Screamer."

Starscream huffed indignantly, but both of his trinemates could see easily enough that he appreciated the compliment. They knew he was used to being ogled for his beauty, and it had to be unsettling to be ogled now for an entirely different reason.

"Alright," Starscream said sternly. "Enough about my body issues." He was all commanding officer now. "I'm expecting a full report from you, Skywarp. As soon as you're able."

"Of course," Skywarp agreed, turning businesslike. "I'm ready to debrief right now. I can see Hook afterward."

Starscream nodded. "Then let's get this done."

That evening, as the sun sank behind the horizon, Starscream sat at his desk in his and Megatron's quarters, trying to finish the last of his paperwork for the day. He'd finally finished transcribing Skywarp's mission report and was attempting to craft a brief report of his own to go with it. None of the words sounded right; he kept deleting the sentences and starting over. As more and more time passed, his frustration built. Finally, Starscream slammed a fist down on his desk with an annoyed growl.

"Argh!" He sighed, his wings drooping. "Why is this so hard? It's just a routine report."

He shifted in his chair and leaned back, staring at the screen of his computer console blankly. He just couldn't focus on the report and what needed to be done. Ever since Skywarp had returned, Starscream had been distracted, reflecting on all the times it had been himself striding down the loading ramp, battered and scarred, returning victorious from some mission or other. His processor was racing, burning with images of flight, remembering how it felt to soar at the head of his Seeker squadron, slicing through the air. It was a freedom unlike any other and mostly indescribable to those who were not fortunate enough to be able to touch the sky.

Starscream realized he was restless. It had been a while since he'd been out flying, since he'd been out on patrol. Somehow, lately he'd found himself occupied with more and more tasks around the base, keeping him grounded when he could have been out running patrols with his trine. Of course, this had kept Hook happy. The medic was always reminding Starscream not to work too hard.

All the administration that went into being the Decepticon second-in-command was boring him. He needed to get out, away from the base, and actually _do_ something for once. Convincing Hook and Megatron to let him was a whole different matter. There was a depressing thought.

The Seeker returned his attention to his report and forced himself to finish it. He had just saved the document and sent it off to Soundwave for filing when he heard the door hiss open. Heavy footsteps he recognized as Megatron's came through the front room.

"Starscream?" Megatron's voice rumbled. "Are you here?"

Starscream rose and strode to the doorway, leaning a hip against the jamb. "I'm here."

Megatron stopped and his gaze locked on his mate, silhouetted in the open doorway leading to their shared office. None of the overhead lights had been turned on yet and the last rays of the day's dying light streaked in through the viewport behind the Seeker, glinting off his shiny wings. The glow of his optics was just enough to illuminate his handsome features.

It was just the sight Megatron had been waiting to see after a long day of dealing with irritating underlings, malfunctioning equipment and the aftermath of last night's Autobot raid on the Energon reserves. Not much had been accomplished and it had all just managed to give the warlord a nasty processor ache.

Megatron's optics roved over Starscream's body, lingering on his shapely legs and curvy hips.

"How was everything in the command center, my lord?" Starscream asked, pulling Megatron's attention up to his faceplates.

Megatron groaned as he flopped down on the nearby couch. "It was the Pits," he admitted. "Pretty much like any other cycle around here."

Starscream laughed softly, a sound Megatron never tired of hearing. "In other words, fragged up beyond all recognition."

Megatron sighed. "Something like that." He glanced over at his second where he still stood in the doorway. "It would have been more bearable if I'd been able to ogle that perky aft of yours all cycle. Where were you?"

Starscream shrugged as he stepped out from the archway, his wings lifting and falling with the movement. "I was busy with my squadron that came back from that scouting mission behind Autobot lines. I've spent most of my time writing reports and sending them off to Soundwave. He's just going to love all the work I've made for him."

Megatron barked out a laugh. "Soundwave is a hard worker. He won't mind."

"Better him doing the filing than me," Starscream muttered. "I never had much patience for paperwork."

"I know," Megatron chuckled. "I hate it too. Maybe you could help me with the new batch I have to work on?" Megatron's expression became suggestive as his gaze traveled up Starscream's form again.

Starscream grinned as a brief image flitted through his processor of the two of them interfacing on the wide surface of Megatron's desk, datapads hastily pushed aside and scattered about. His valve tingled at the mere thought. "I don't know about the paperwork, but I can definitely help you with your stress level, my lord." He strode to the couch and lowered himself down into Megatron's lap, until he was straddling the larger mech's thighs, his hands flat against his mate's chestplates.

"I like the sound of that," Megatron murmured, moving his hands to grip Starscream's hips. "You're feeling frisky, love."

"Hook did say this is the part of my cycle when my hormones begin to peak," Starscream said, reciting what the medic had told him at his last checkup. "Meaning I'm going to be horny as Pit right up until the sparking." Starscream's hands roved, sliding across Megatron's armor, fingertips dipping into seams to tease and stroke at wiring underneath. Megatron squirmed, turning breathless, but he smiled slowly.

"You won't catch me complaining." The warlord leaned forward and caught the Seeker's mouth in a dominating kiss as his hands slid around to give Starscream's aft a firm squeeze. The second moaned softly into his master's mouth and bit at Megatron's lower lip. Megatron groaned and hoisted the Seeker higher up on his waist, until their panels scraped together. Starscream's intakes hitched at the searing contact.

"Master!" he gasped. "You're already half-charged!"

Megatron's lips left Starscream's and trailed across his cheek, then along his jaw and down to his neck, where the warlord's glossa slipped out to swipe along the delicate, sensitive cables. A breathy moan escaped the Seeker.

"You do that to me," Megatron murmured, his breath hot against Starscream's slender neck. "It doesn't take much." His dentae nipped at the junction of the Seeker's neck and shoulder joint and Starscream shivered. The warlord's hands came up to fondle the edges of his mate's wings, his thumbs swirling in gentle circles over the smooth metal. Starscream's optics darkened to a deep garnet as his desire skyrocketed, his helm falling back as Megatron's mouth continued to ravish his throat. The Seeker was beginning to pant, his breath coming hard and fast. The heat between his thighs was impossible to ignore and he could feel the lubricant beginning to gather there. His fingers grasped at the other mech's shoulders as he slowly rolled his hips into Megatron's. The warlord hissed and squeezed Starscream's hips, pushing his pelvis up to meet the jet's thrust.

Starscream was on fire, his entire frame and every line burning with need. Looking down, he could see the same hunger reflected in Megatron's optics. The mere inches of air between them was charged with desire and heavy with the combined heat from their chassis. Condensation was beginning to form on Starscream's canopy. Megatron brought a hand up and stroked the amber glass, dragging fingertips through the moisture. Starscream shuddered and his slender arms came up to loop around Megatron's neck as he leaned in for another kiss. Their lips met passionately and Megatron's glossa slipped out, sliding across Starscream's lips questioningly. The Seeker's mouth opened willingly to admit his mate's glossa, meeting it with his own.

Starscream picked up the pace as he ground his hips against Megatron, his body trembling, wings quivering as his glossa battled with Megatron's. The warlord's hand slid from Starscream's hip down to his knee and back up, stroking his inner thigh all the way up to his panel, his grip tight and possessive. Megatron brushed fingertips over the Seeker's panel, teasing the searing hot metal. Starscream gasped and jerked before pressing down into his mate's palm. The panel slid aside with a soft click.

Megatron's fingertip traced around the rim of Starscream's dripping valve, stroking at the wet opening as he crushed Starscream's mouth in a kiss. His second-in-command moaned into his master's mouth, his hands clawing at Megatron's chestplates. Slowly, Megatron dipped his middle finger into the Seeker's port, moving it in and out. Starscream bit his lip and moaned again, rocking his hips along with the rhythm Megatron set. Their gazes locked.

Megatron couldn't help but grin as he watched his mate getting caught up in the moment. Starscream had always been delightful in the berth, responsive and vocal. The range of expressions crossing his face were always arousing to watch and this time proved no different. Megatron felt his lust soar even higher at the look of pure, uninhibited need plain on Starscream's features.

Megatron swiftly slid a second finger inside Starscream; the Seeker groaned, wriggling lower to take the fingers deeper. Megatron moved them skillfully, stroking his port walls rhythmically, making Starscream jerk and gasp and moan and move his hips, undulating in time with those fingers. Megatron leaned down to kiss his second and Starscream arched up into the contact, his lips hungry and desperate against Megatron's. The warlord knew Starscream was rapidly slipping toward his overload and they hadn't even gotten to the best part yet.

Megatron drew his fingers away even as the Seeker groaned in protest; the digits were covered in Starscream's slick lubricating fluid. Megatron made a great show of slipping his first two fingers into his mouth and licking them clean while Starscream watched, riveted, his optics burning. When he finished, he gave Starscream a lazy smile.

"You taste good, Screamer," he murmured huskily.

Starscream moaned softly, then begged, "Stop teasing me. I'm so charged I can barely stand it." He leaned forward and bit at Megatron's lower lip, making the warlord growl.

A soft click sounded as Megatron's panel slid aside and his spike sprang out, fully charged and erect, transfluid beading from its tip. He reached out and grasped Starscream firmly by the hips and drug him closer. Starscream gasped and then moaned in satisfaction as Megatron slid inside his aching valve, filling him.

Starscream began moving, riding Megatron's spike, rolling his hips at a skilled, agonizingly slow pace. He was relishing the feel of his master's hardness, his heat, just as much as Megatron was enjoying the Seeker's slick silkiness, gripping him wonderfully. Starscream was panting, his claws scraping at his mate's shoulders as he increased his rhythm. Megatron squeezed Starscream's hips and pushed up into the jet's thrusts with a growl. Starscream cried out and then bit his lip.

"Megatron," he whimpered. Nothing else needed to be said. The warlord understood. The burning in Starscream's optics said it all.

Megatron moved swiftly, one arm around Starscream's waist, holding the Seeker close against his chestplates, as he pushed up from the couch with the other. A moment later, Starscream's back hit the floor, and Megatron drank in the sight of his wings spreading wide underneath him, fluttering and twitching. Megatron took a moment to admire the view. He couldn't decide if he preferred the view of Starscream above or below him, but there was no doubt the Seeker was sinfully enticing from any angle.

Starscream wrapped his legs around Megatron's back and rolled his hips in time with him as the other mech began to move. The warlord's hands roved, stroking Starscream's smooth, warm armor, delighting in his curves, his aft, his thighs, his rounded belly. Megatron slowly picked up the pace until he was driving into his mate, lifting Starscream's slim hips up off the floor with the force of his thrusts. Megatron shifted, leaning his weight back over his heels, freeing his arms to snake under Starscream's pelvis, supporting him.

The two rocked together in a steady rhythm, Starscream's wings fluttering against the floor as molten waves of pleasure coursed through his body. His hands grasped at Megatron's wrists as he cried out. Having his hips elevated allowed Megatron to delve further with each thrust, brushing the sensors deep inside Starscream, sensors he'd nearly forgotten he had.

Starscream groaned and bit his knuckle as his other hand clutched at the floor, struggling to hold back his overload, to hold onto this bliss. His very circuits felt as though they were burning with the pleasure rolling through his body, from his pedes all the way to his wingtips. Seeing the expression on Megatron's face wasn't helping, but he couldn't tear his optics away. The warlord was trembling, his optics burning a deep scarlet as he tried to restrain his own overload in an effort to prolong Starscream's pleasure.

Starscream was close now, so close. Megatron could feel it, down into his very circuits. The air around the pair crackled with pent up energy. Megatron pounded into his mate again, drawing a whimper from the Air Commander.

In the next astrosecond, Starscream's back arched off the floor, his claws scraping at its surface, as his systems were flooded with the strongest full-frame overload he'd had in awhile. He screamed his ecstasy so loudly that Megatron had to dampen his audio sensors momentarily. The Seeker's valve clenched around Megatron's spike and a gush of fluid came with it. Megatron's overload followed a moment later, made all the more intense by the knowledge that Starscream had so thoroughly enjoyed himself. The larger mech stiffened and buried himself in the Seeker, giving a strangled shout as his transfluid exploded forth. Beneath him, Starscream writhed in pleasure at the sensation of the heat pooling inside him.

Megatron shuddered and collapsed on the floor next to Starscream. A comfortable silence covered them, the only sounds being the soft movements of Starscream's wings and the gradually slowing cycling of their intakes. A small smile played around the corners of Starscream's mouth.

Finally, Megatron pushed up onto one elbow and gazed down at his mate, a soft expression rarely seen gentling his aged features. "Feel better?" he asked with some amusement.

Starscream nodded as his whole body vibrated in delight. "Oh yes," he purred, meeting Megatron's optics. "Much better."

Megatron's expression had become vaguely concerned. "Screamer, you've seemed a little "off" the last few cycles. Is everything alright?"

Starscream sighed, becoming serious. "I'm fine, Megatron."

Megatron was not convinced. "Starscream," he said sternly. "Don't lie to me."

Starscream sat up with a shrug, flexing his wings back and forth. "I've been a tad...restless," he admitted. "I've been stuck here at the base."

Megatron sat up beside him. "You know very well it's for your own good."

"I need to get out of here and fly," Starscream countered as a slightly desperate tinge seeped into his tone. "I'm a Seeker, Megatron. I need to taste the air and touch the clouds." He turned a pleading look on his mate. "Please let me go out with my trine on the next patrol."

Megatron said nothing and merely studied the Seeker's faceplates solemnly. Breems passed. Finally, he murmured, "It's not like you to ask permission." He studied his mate thoughtfully. He could see that Starscream was very serious about his request. "I'll have to talk to Hook."

Starscream scowled deeply. "He'll just say no."

"And he would be completely justified," Megatron said sharply. "You're his patient and he's responsible for you." The warlord smiled darkly. "And if anything happens to you, he has to answer to me."

"Nothing is going to happen!" Starscream cried, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "It would be a normal routine patrol. I've done it billions of times by now."

Megatron snarled. "Starscream, if you have learned _anything_ in your life by now, it ought to be that this war is anything but _routine_ or _predictable_."

"I think I can handle anything the Autobots can throw at me," Starscream hissed, optics flashing. He pushed himself up from the floor with an indignant huff. "I've been at this war just as long as you have." He stomped off toward their recharge quarters.

"I realize that, Starscream," Megatron agreed, rising and striding after the Seeker. "I'm not doubting your ability to take care of yourself."

"Then what's the problem?" Starscream demanded from inside the refresher. He snatched up a cloth and ran it under the water in the wash basin.

Megatron stopped in the doorway and sighed, idly watching his mate scrub away the smears of transfluid and lubricant staining his inner thighs. Silence reigned. Finally, he murmured, "It's not just about you, anymore."

Starscream paused in his scrubbing and looked up at Megatron. "I know," he said softly, sincerely. "Believe me, Megatron, I know. I'm the carrier, after all. It would never be my intent to endanger our son."

"Then you understand why you need to stay at the base," Megatron insisted.

Starscream sighed and straightened, tossing the cloth in the basin. "I understand perfectly, Megatron. It doesn't mean I have to like it." He pushed past his mate into their bedchamber and flopped onto the berth. "It's staying grounded that bothers me. I was built for flight, you know." He waved a hand in the air dramatically. "Hook can tell you all about it. Seeker coding and protocols and the wonderful instincts that come with them." A note of sarcasm laced his scratchy voice.

Megatron seated himself on the edge of the berth near Starscream. "You really need to just get out and fly, don't you?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I do," Starscream admitted. "It's driving me crazy being grounded constantly. I'm even starting to get a bit claustrophobic. A day's worth of patrols and I'll be fine. It'll be out of my system for awhile after that."

Megatron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose a routine patrol couldn't hurt. But you're not going without your trinemates." He shot his mate a stern look.

Starscream snorted. "Obviously." He paused and gave Megatron a hopeful glance. "So does that mean I can go? Is that your equivalent to 'yes, Starscream, you may go. Happy flying?'"

Megatron couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, you have my permission," he said somewhat grudgingly.

Starscream smiled and sat up to give Megatron a kiss. "Thank you."

Megatron kissed back, savoring the taste of his Seeker's lips. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled a moment later. "Just one thing."

"What?"

"Don't do anything stupid."

Starscream pretended to be offended and shot Megatron a chastising look. "Me? Never."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I've been so busy I hardly have time to think! Anyway, this is pretty much just a bridge to the next big plot twist but I still hope you guys get some enjoyment out of this! Appreciate the reviews and support!**

The first faint pinkish light of dawn was just beginning to streak the horizon when a loud banging shook the door of Skywarp and Thundercracker's quarters. Thundercracker jerked and jolted to a half-awake state, sighing. Skywarp remained in recharge and merely shuffled around a bit, instinctively rearranging his slender wings. The purple and black Seeker could sleep through just about anything. Thundercracker rolled over and attempted to ignore the noise. It continued insistently.

"Thunder! Warp! Wake up you lazy slaggers!" came Starscream's unmistakable voice from the other side of the door.

Thundercracker groaned in annoyance. "Go away!" he yelled, startling Skywarp into wakefulness. "The sun is barely up, Screamer."

"So?" their trineleader demanded. "It's our turn to go on patrol."

Thundercracker groaned again. "Don't care, Screamer. Nothing ever changes on our patrol route."

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Starscream snapped, sounding like the indignant trineleader he was.

Thundercracker sat up in the berth, rubbing his bleary optics. "Why do you care? You can't even go with us."

"Oh yes, I can!" Starscream sang out from the other side of the door.

Thundercracker stood and drug himself to the door, flinging it open wide to reveal his closest friend, standing in the hallway with his hands resting on his hips, a sassy smirk curving his lips. Thundercracker shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I procured Lord Megatron's gracious permission to go out on patrol," Starscream informed him haughtily.

Thundercracker's mouth worked for a long moment before he managed to reply. "How in Cybertron did you manage that?"

"I have my ways." Starscream smirked even wider.

Thundercracker waved a hand in his trineleader's direction. "I don't even want to know," he muttered, turning away from the doorway and trudging back toward the berth where Skywarp had quickly fallen back into recharge. The third member of the trine was snoring lightly.

Footsteps followed Thundercracker inside, clicking across the floor smartly. "Oh no!" came Starscream's shrill reprimand. "You are not going back to bed!"

He reached out and grabbed Thundercracker by the arm and jerked, halting the sleepy mech's progress. "Go visit the wash rack and wake yourself up," he commanded, giving his trinemate a shove toward the door across the room. Thundercracker stumbled forward as Starscream strode purposefully to the berthside and reached down to grasp Skywarp's shoulder, giving the purple and black jet a solid shake.

"Get up, Warp," Starscream demanded, even as the other Seeker groaned and swiped claws in Starscream's general direction. A minute of persistent and ever-violent shaking did nothing to rouse Skywarp. Finally, Starscream took hold of his trinemate's wingtip and gave it a sharp pinch.

"Ouch!" Skywarp screeched, flying up off the berth, suddenly wide awake. "I'm up, I'm up, damn you!" He shot his trineleader a dark glare as he reached up to rub gently at the offended spot on his wing. "What in frag is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Starscream answered brightly. "I merely wish to get started on our patrol."

Skywarp humphed and turned away with a scowl, trudging off toward the refresher. "You're crazy," he accused his trineleader grumblingly. "Oh wait, we already knew that."

The Air Commander ignored the remark. There had been a time, not so long ago, when he had been the one complaining about getting up early to head out on patrol. He knew what that was like. Now his view was different, and he knew his trinemates couldn't relate. They had no idea how to fathom a world without flight, which was a rare commodity for Starscream these days. Not even his trinemates' complaining could spoil Starscream's good mood this morning. He was happy, plain and simple. He was finally getting out to stretch his wings and it was long overdue.

By the time Skywarp and Thundercracker had taken their morning Energon rations and Starscream had dragged them out of the barracks, the sun was over the horizon, bright and molten gold in the clear, cloudless sky. The air was crisp and cool, the breeze light. The season the humans called autumn was beginning. Starscream strode ahead, leading the way out into the commons of the base. His enthusiasm was impossible not to notice. There was an unmistakable spring in his step and his wings were held out wide and relaxed, a sure sign the trineleader was in good spirits. Warp and Thundercracker exchanged glances, slightly confused but glad to see Starscream more agreeable.

"What's with him?" Warp asked under his breath.

Thundercracker gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Who knows? At least he's in a good mood."

Skywarp nodded. "He's been so grumpy lately." The black and purple Seeker frowned, his optics clouding as he recalled all the recent times Screamer had chewed his aft in the last orn or so.

Thunder smiled gently and reached over to give his mate's wingtip a soft caress. "Don't take it personal, love. It's-"

"The hormones, I know, I know," Skywarp muttered sourly, cutting the other Seeker off mid-sentence. He sighed noisily through his vents. "I'll be relieved when the sparkling finally comes. It'll be nice to have our Screamer back."

Thundercracker laughed quietly. "Our only slightly grumpy, slightly easier to deal with Screamer."

"Yeah," Skywarp agreed. "The one we've known, loved and tolerated for decacycle upon decacycle."

"Not sure if we'll ever entirely get him back," Thundercracker said, suddenly serious. "He's going to be a creator, Warp."

Skywarp gave his mate a long, appraising look. "You really think that? I mean, it's...Starscream. He'll always be our Screamer, right?"

Thundercracker smiled and looped an arm around Skywarp's shoulders, drawing him close as they trailed after their trineleader. "Of course," he said brightly, perhaps a little too brightly. Skywarp wasn't convinced but decided to let it go for the moment.

Ahead of them, Starscream paused and looked back over his shoulder at them. "Hurry it up, would you?"

Thunder and Warp had no sooner drawn near to their trineleader than Starscream took a running leap and transformed, taking to the sky as easily as a bird. The other two Seekers jogged forward and followed suit, accelerating quickly to catch up to Starscream.

The three jets soared across the sky in an easy vee formation as the sun continued to rise, following the patrol route as it looped north away from the base. The forest below was beginning to blaze with the full array of fall colors, before fading into the grayish-black of the foothills and the mountains. Starscream supposed he would never completely get used to this planet; it was just too different from Cybertron. But he couldn't deny this place had a rugged beauty all its own.

They flew over several Energon mining outposts, where drones were hard at work, supplying the Decepticon army with its energy and sustenance. The miles stretched on, growing steadily closer to enemy territory. Starscream opened his comm channel to his trinemates.

:Keep your optics open near the border.:

He could almost hear Skywarp's sigh. :There's never any Autobots out here, Screamer.:

Starscream scowled inwardly, and was about to retort when Thundercracker cut in. :Roger that. Shut up, Warp.:

Starscream had to chuckle. Thunder always smoothed things over, always the voice of reason.

The trine roared onward and in just moments Autobot territory was visible. A quick scan showed no signs of Cybertronian life, no movement. Starscream was about to make the turn to the west when a slight flicker on his sensors caught his attention. At the same moment, he received a comm from Thundercracker.

:Did you see that?:

:Sure did.: Starscream shot forward.

:What are you doing?: Thunder asked, a note of panic in his voice.

:Just taking a peek.: Starscream replied as he crossed the invisible boundary into enemy airspace.

:Screamer! Get your aft back over here!: Thundercracker hissed.

:Relax, Thunder. You worry too much.: Starscream retorted. Skywarp snorted.

:I wonder why!: Thundercracker spluttered indignantly. :You're always doing something stupid!:

Starscream ignored him and flew onward, swooping down toward the treeline as he decelerated quickly. The roar of his engines became muted. His scans showed two energy signatures now that he was closer, both the telltale faintness indicative of a cloaking device. Autobots, no doubt, being extra cautious this close to Decepticon lines. But what were they doing this close to the edge of their territory? What were they looking for? Or more importantly, what had they found?

Curious, Starscream moved lower, dropping below the treeline. Thundercracker growled in frustration as he saw his trineleader disappear among the brightly colored vegetation.

"Come on!" he hissed at Skywarp, "We better go after him." The two shot forward, headed swiftly to the spot where Starscream had vanished from view.

"How did I know this was going to happen?" Thunder muttered under his breath.

"Because wherever Screamer goes, trouble follows," Skywarp supplied for him, an ironic note in his voice.

Thundercracker couldn't deny the truth of this statement. "We shouldn't have gone on this patrol," he grumbled. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I," Warp agreed, shooting ahead of his mate. "So let's hurry and grab Screamer before he can get into any serious trouble."


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, here it is, at long last! I'm sorry this update was so long in coming. I have not given up on this story at all, just some RL stuff got in the way for awhile and I was writing like crazy on my other stories. I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP, as in later this week. Please read and review and keep the support coming. I love you guys!**

* * *

Starscream barely made a sound as he touched down on the forest floor. The soft thump of his landing was muffled by the layer of damp autumn leaves covering the ground; his arrival however, startled some small creatures nearby and several squirrels scampered away in fear, chirping irritably at him.

The scientist in him took a brief moment to silently marvel at the diversity of lifeforms on this backwater planet, before he swung his attention to the Autobots. The small black and yellow scout known as Bumblebee was standing at the mouth of a cave, dwarfed by the bot beside him, none other than Optimus Prime himself. Prime held a datapad in his large hand and the two seemed to be discussing something regarding the cave in front of them. Starscream could hear Prime's deep voice rumbling and Bumblebee's answering beeps and whistles, but he was too far away to clearly make out their exchange.

Obviously, they'd found something of interest in the mine. And if the Autobots were interested in something, then the Decepticons would also find that something interesting.

Starscream darted closer to the pair, flitting between the trees until he spotted a boulder large enough to hide behind and close enough that he ought to be able to eavesdrop relatively easily. He had no intention of exposing his presence, especially with Prime there.

Starscream stepped out from behind the old oak tree that had been sheltering him for the last few moments and headed for the boulder. Just a quick dash and he would safely behind cover...

The cracking of wood rang out sharply in the quiet forest. Starscream froze; looking down, he realized with a sudden rush of dread that he'd stepped on a tree branch. It had been buried under the leaves and he'd never known it was there until it was too late.

He sighed. There was no way the Autobots wouldn't have heard that.

Indeed, at the moment the sound reverberated through the tree trunks, Prime and Bumblebee immediately stopped their discussion and spun around, scanning the area for whatever had caused the noise. They each had a cannon raised, aimed outward at the forest.

Starscream remained frozen, unsure of whether he should move or not. They hadn't seen him yet. Then again, he didn't exactly blend in with the woods. After another moment of indecision, he decided to throw caution to the wind. His stealth approach had already been ruined after all. He turned and walked lazily toward the Autobots, not bothering to move quietly. Instantly, their weapons were trained on him. He stopped at the edge of the small clearing the cave sat in, some one hundred yards separating him from the other bots.

Prime's cannon glowed a steady blue and hummed softly. It was the Seeker's primary focus until Prime spoke. Starscream's attention swung up to the bot's handsome face.

"Starscream," Prime said with the barest hint of surprise lacing his tone.

"Just thought I'd drop in and see what Autobots were doing this close to Decepticon lines," Starscream said in utter honesty, his voice steady even as his spark hammered crazily inside its chamber. This could go badly, and quickly. Why did he always act on his first impulses? They always got him into situations like this. He sighed inwardly. Megatron would never let him leave the base again.

Prime eyed the Seeker uncertainly. "Nothing more than reconnaissance, the same as you," he replied carefully. That was when Prime's gaze swept over Starscream's frame and suddenly stopped, fixed on the jet's midsection. His light blue optics widened and he immediately dropped his cannon. Bumblebee looked questioningly at his leader, beeping in confusion.

"Put your guns away, Bumblebee," Prime ordered softly. "He won't attack us. He's carrying."

Starscream's ckeekplates instantly turned pinkish. Prime was right, though; it would be far too risky for him to open fire on them.

Bumblebee reluctantly put away his weapons but his optics never left the Seeker. Starscream didn't blame him; in the past, he'd used circumstances such as injuries to play on the Autobots' sympathies to get them unarmed, then using their lack of defense to his advantage and attacking. But not this time. He'd already endangered the sparkling enough just by stumbling into this standoff.

Prime studied him knowingly. "I didn't realize the Decepticons were at work on a new generation," he murmured. "Such things are rare in times of war." He looked Starscream square in the optics. "Megatron is the sire, isn't he?"

Bumblebee whistled in shock as Starscream just nodded. He saw no point in denying the truth. He and Megatron had gone to lengths to hide the fact that they cared for each other from their enemies, knowing the Autobots could easily exploit it. But obviously, Prime was more perceptive than most.

The Autobot's next question caught Starscream by surprise. "Did he force you?" Prime asked quietly, looking genuinely concerned.

Starscream straightened, throwing his shoulders back and proudly showing off his belly. "No. My master has never forced me." True, there had been times when he'd initially resisted, for one reason or another. But he always ended up malleable and willing in Megatron's capable hands.

Any further conversation was stalled by the whining of jet engines. Starscream and the Autobots looked to the sky; there, descending rapidly through the trees came Warp and Thunder, transforming and landing gracefully in front of their trineleader. Immediately, weapons were drawn once more by all parties. The two Seekers stared over their guns at the Autobots, who stared steadily back. No one moved.

Finally, Thundercracker asked, "You alright, Screamer?"

"Yes, I'm just fine," Starscream replied. He couldn't help the relief that crept through his voice; he was genuinely glad to see his trinemates. He wasn't convinced that Prime would have hurt him or let anyone else do so, but he was sure he wouldn't have been allowed to leave either.

"Good," Thundercracker said briskly. "Now if you'll excuse us, Prime, we'll be taking our trineleader and leaving."

Prime didn't reply. He seemed to be quickly weighing his alternatives. Then he nodded once and dropped his cannons again.

Skywarp grabbed Starscream by the upper arm and propelled them both upward, taking Starscream by surprise. After a moment, he managed to engage his own thrusters. A quick glance below showed Thundercracker following. The Autobots stood below, gazing up after the retreating Seekers, growing smaller and smaller. When the trine broke through the treetops and soared up into the open air, Skywarp shot ahead, dragging Starscream along with him. He didn't slow down until they'd crossed back over into Decepticon airspace.

"Let go!" Screamer growled, trying to jerk his arm away from his trinemate's grip.

Warp refused to let go however, and yanked Starscream even closer. "What is the matter with you?!" Warp demanded. "How can you be so smart and yet so stupid? Do you realize what could have happened down there?!" Skywarp rarely got this angry; his optics blazed and his wings jerked about violently on his back.

"Yes, I know perfectly well what could have happened!" Starscream shot back. "I know it was stupid of me to take off without you guys. I know that Prime could have killed me or taken me hostage. I know, I know, I know! I don't need you to tell me!" He realized he was yelling by the time he'd finished, one arm held protectively across his belly. His wings still quivered in the echoes of the fear he'd felt down on the ground.

Skywarp could easily see his trineleader trying to not come apart at the seams. His features softened and he drew Starscream into his arms, pulling him close till his belly pressed against Warp's cockpit. "I'm sorry," Warp said softly. "It's just that Thunder and I were so scared. We don't wanna lose you. Or the little one."

"I'm sorry for being an idiot," Starscream muttered, burying his face in Skywarp's neck.

A hand touched Warp's shoulder and he looked up to see Thundercracker gazing at them with a mixture of relief and irritation on his faceplates. "Come on, let's get moving."

* * *

They finished the patrol route quickly and mostly in silence, Thundercracker leading the way. Finally, about mid-morning, the blue jet turned his nosecone back toward base. They'd covered a lot of miles and they were all tired and ready for some Energon.

"When we get back, you two go ahead and get some fuel," Starscream instructed. "I'll report to Megatron."

"What about you?" Warp asked, optic ridges drawn together in concern.

"Don't worry about me," Starscream said with false brightness. Inside, he was dreading making his report to Megatron. His mate would undoubtedly be angry and think of some sort of fitting punishment for him. Not to say that Starscream blamed him; he fully deserved it for being so reckless.

Thunder and Warp exchanged knowing glances. Trickles of their trineleader's anxiety were leaking out over their trine bond. Thundercracker shook his head.

"No. We'll stay with you." His tone brooked no argument.

Starscream didn't say anything but just glanced from Thundercracker to Skywarp, nodding slightly with a hint of a grateful smile. In a few kliks, the base came into view and the trine descended toward it. The three landed gracefully near the shuttle pad, touching down at the same time, their thrusters kicking up a small cloud of dust. Starscream straightened.

"Alright, let's do this," he said, squaring his shoulders. Stepping forward, he led the way toward the command center, where he was sure to find Megatron. Thundercracker and Skywarp followed along behind briskly, a step behind their trineleader, flanking him in their typical protective manner. They'd always guarded him this way, ever since they'd been joined as a trine. It was comfortable and familiar and knowing they were there lent a bit more confidence to Starscream's strides.

Megatron would still be angry, though. Very angry. The thought made his wings quiver just a bit.

The trine swept into the command center a klik later. Helms turned and optics followed the Seekers as they headed directly for Megatron's throne. The warlord glanced over at the source of the commotion; when his gaze landed on his mate, he straightened and offered Starscream a small smile as the trine approached.

"Ah, I see my elite trine has returned," he said brightly. "What do you have to report?"

Starscream stopped in front of Megatron, his trinemates coming a halt on either side of him. Starscream took in a deep cycle of air through his intakes and began speaking. Quickly, in a low tone, he gave his master a brief recap of the morning's patrol, never once breaking Megatron's gaze, even as the warlord's pleasant expression steadily soured, growing more and more furious with each passing moment. The warlord's crimson optics darkened to a deep fiery red and his thin lips pressed into an even thinner line. His posture grew rigid and his wide shoulders settled into that low, square position indicative of annoyance. Starscream's knees trembled; he hadn't seen Megatron this angry in quite awhile.

"Please, my lord, don't be angry with my trinemates," the Air Commander implored. "If not for their quick thinking, I might not be here in front of you. It is I who deserves your wrath."

Megatron leaned forward, pointing a clawed digit at his mate. "Indeed, Starscream," he growled. "You are correct and I commend your trinemates for their actions. You, however, have greatly displeased me." Megatron paused and glanced at Thundercracker and Skywarp in turn. "The two of you have my thanks. You are both dismissed."

Thundercracker exchanged a look with Warp, who raised a shoulder ever so slightly in a shrug. He knew Thunder would be worried about Screamer, but this was now between the mated couple.

_Screamer will be fine, Thunder, _Warp said over his mate bond with Thundercracker. _This is in Megatron's hands now._

The blue Seeker didn't look convinced. _How do we know he won't hurt Screamer?_ Thunder demanded. _He's done it before._

_Yes, but that was before, _Skywarp soothed. _Megatron won't risk his offspring by beating its carrier._

Thundercracker sighed. _I hope to Primus you're right, Warp._

The two Seekers respectfully inclined their helms toward their master before stepping back and quietly exiting the command center, leaving their trineleader alone before Megatron's fury. Megatron shot up out of his throne as soon as the others were gone. He was down the dais steps in a blur and in front of Starscream, a towering pillar of burning optics and bared dentae. A hand shot out and clamped tightly around the jet's upper arm.

"We will continue our discussion in private," the warlord hissed, stepping toward the door and pulling his mate along with him. Starscream put up no resistance but allowed himself to be tugged along willingly. Even if he'd wanted to resist, he was no match for Megatron's brute strength.

It took only a few kliks for them to reach their quarters in the officers' barracks. Megatron pushed through the door with a growl. As soon as the portal had hissed shut behind them, he released Starscream's arm from his vice-like grip. The Seeker barely had the span of an intake to gather his wits before Megatron spoke.

"You disobeyed me! Again! After you promised you'd be careful!" The warlord's voice bounced off the curved walls of the entryway around them.

"I know, Master," Starscream cried, looking up at Megatron with optics brimming with coolant. "I'm so sorry, Master! It was dangerous and reckless and foolish and I feel like an idiot!"

"Good!" Megatron roared. "Because you certainly are at times and this is one of those times." The Decepticon leader's vents huffed in a sigh and his shoulders sagged. When he continued, his voice was quiet. "What were you thinking, Starscream? Were you so addled in the processor from being grounded for an orn that you threw away all thoughts of your own protection?"

Starscream fidgeted, his wings held low in a position indicative of his shame. "I don't know," he murmured, not meeting Megatron's optics. "I just wanted to know what the Autobots were doing so close to our border."

Megatron grunted in disapproval. "While your curiosity has served you well in the past, now is not the time to be following your every whim as it arises."

Starscream hung his head. "Yes, sir."

He was startled a moment later when Megatron took a step closer and reached out, tipping the Seeker's chin up with a single digit. Megatron's gaze had softened and his expression wasn't as harsh. Actually, the big bot looked worried and scared. Starscream didn't know what he'd expected next, but it certainly hadn't been any sort of display of tenderness from his master.

"Please be more careful, Starscream," Megatron implored, his thumb coming up to caress the jet's cheek. Starscream found himself leaning into the touch.

"I will," he breathed.

"I mean it," Megatron said a bit more firmly. He caught Starscream's gaze and held it. Starscream's intakes stuttered at the intensity there. "I can't lose you or the sparkling. I love you too much. I couldn't go on without you, you know."

Starscream gave a breathy little laugh. "You were fine before I came along, Megatron."

"What came before doesn't matter," Megatron insisted. "What matters now is that I can't live without you. By the Allspark, please be careful. For my sake, your own sake and the sake of our young one." Megatron's large hand covered Starscream's belly protectively. The Seeker placed his own hand over his mate's.

"There's nothing I want more than to be a family with you and our sparkling," Starscream said softly. "And I'll stay locked up in our quarters for the rest of my term if that's what it takes to keep me out of harm's way."

Megatron surprised him by chuckling. "Don't be ridiculous, Starscream," the warlord said, drawing the jet into his arms. "You'll still have the run of the base. At least until you find a way to get yourself hurt within its confines."

Starscream made a sour expression. "Then you'll confine me to our quarters, right?"

"If I have to." Megatron held the Seeker close and leaned down to nuzzle at his elegant neck. "Just make sure it doesn't come to that and we won't have any more problems." The warlord's lips were warm where they were kissing their way down Starscream's neck cables.

"Um, my lord," Starscream said as he squirmed in his mate's embrace. Megatron's mouth was so distracting. "We may have a small problem..."

"Hmm? What's that, Starscream?"

"Master, we can't forget that the Autobots have seen me."

"So?" Megatron's kisses were growing more hungry and his hands on Starscream's back struts had slid down to grip his aft insistently. "It's not like they haven't seen you before."

"Yes, but...not like this," Starscream hedged.

"What are you driving at?"

"They know I'm carrying, Megatron," Starscream said with a small huff of exasperation. "They know that you and I are having a sparkling."

Megatron froze. Slowly, he leaned back and looked down at his second thoughtfully. "You make a valid point, Starscream," he said slowly. Starscream could almost see the gears turning inside Megatron's helm. "I never accounted for interference from the Autobots. This could cause even more issues for us. You will definitely have to stay confined to the base for your own protection."

Starscream thought about that for a second, then he glanced up at Megatron with a hint of panic in his optics. "Megatron!" The Seeker clutched at his mate's forearms. "Do you think they'll try to take the sparkling from us? Or try to terminate it before it's born?"

Megatron opted for brutal honesty. "It's a possibility. And that's why we will have to be extra careful from here on. We can't take any more risks. Understood?"

"Understood." Starscream nodded vigorously. He knew Megatron would do whatever was necessary to protect him and their son but Starscream still couldn't quite quell the uneasiness in his spark.


	13. Chapter 13

**Holy crap, guys! Another update! Can you believe it? I hardly can. I'm on a roll, it seems. Well, this chapter is a bit shorter but I had to get it posted. I'm planning on wrapping this story up in another four or five chapters, so enjoy these updates! Please read and review! I appreciate your support.**

* * *

That evening as the last streaks of dying light were fading from the western sky, Megatron stood beside Soundwave outside the entrance to the cave in the woods just over the northern border of Decepticon territory. A small team of drones had ventured inside the cavern at Megatron's order, searching for whatever the Autobots had been seeking. Providing they hadn't actually located it and removed it.

Megatron had mulled over Starscream's account of earlier events and had decided that the cave was worth a peek. There was no way to know what mystery it held without looking, even if it was merely a vein of untapped Energon. Primus knew that the army was always in need of more of the fuel.

Megatron had called for his loyal third-in-command and briefed him on the situation. Soundwave informed his master that the cave had previously been uncharted and did not appear on any Decepticon maps. It was likely that the Autobots had stumbled upon it by accident. The TIC advised Megatron that it was worth investigating, which only solidified Megatron's plan. So they had set out with a squad of flier drones and took to the sky headed due north.

The area near the cave was quiet and deserted when the Decepticons landed. Still, they all touched down with their cannons raised and humming, powered up and ready to blast any unsuspecting Autobots. But there was no one around. Megatron was just as glad; he wanted to get done here as quickly as possible so he could return to base and spend the night in Starscream's arms. Soundwave produced an Energon scanner from his subspace compartment and activated it. They waited as the device booted up and began reading the surroundings. A few kliks later, an insistent beeping sounded and the scanner's needle pointed straight ahead to the mouth of the cave. Megatron waved the drones forward.

"What type of reading is it?" he asked Soundwave.

"Statement: reading is weak. Not evidence of an Energon vein," Soundwave replied. His expressionless visor faced the cave, watching the drones as they disappeared into the darkness, turning on their headlights to split the murk.

"Hmm," Megatron murmured, pointed digits scratching at his chin. If it wasn't an Energon deposit, what here could possibly be of interest?

Kliks passed. Finally, Megatron's comm link pinged.

:Lord Megatron, we found something. You'll want to see this.: It was the voice of the drone squad leader.

Megatron glanced over at Soundwave, who nodded slightly. The two entered the cave and made their way deep into the back, where a cluster of drones stood murmuring among themselves. Hearing Megatron's heavy footsteps approaching, they all straightened immediately and fell silent. Several stepped aside to allow their leader and his third-in-command passage past them, into the circle. There, lying partially buried under some rocks and layers of dirt, something shiny and golden gleamed. Megatron could see where the drones had brushed away some of the earth, just enough to see what the mystery object was.

Soundwave's scanner was beeping crazily, so he silenced it and subspaced it in one fluid motion, no longer needing its assistance since the object in question had been found. The fact that it had set off the scanner at all proved that it contained Energon or functioned on Energon, and looking at it now, there was no doubt in Megatron's mind that the object was indeed Cybertronian in origin. Crouching, he brushed away more dirt and lifted aside the rocks to free the item. He reached out and grasped it, hefting it as he stood. Megatron felt a jolt of shock as he realized what it was.

It appeared to be...a hammer. It was large, longer than a human was tall, and constructed of fine Cybertronian alloy the likes of which hadn't been seen since before the Golden Age. Recessed inside the head of the hammer, Megatron could see fine, tiny gears and joints, moving parts that he supposed would spin when powered properly.

The drones were watching in amazement and awe, all optics glued to the giant implement their leader held in his hands. "What is it?" came a nearly inaudible whisper from the rear of the group, one of the drones asking his nearest comrade, who shrugged.

Megatron's sharp audios picked up the inquiry and he answered in a steady voice. "This is the fabled Forge of Solus Prime. Capable of creating any weapon or object of worth when wielded by a Prime."

"Are you certain, my lord?" the drone commander dared to ask as sharp intakes of shock and disbelief rose up from the soldiers. "I was under the impression the Forge had been destroyed eons ago."

"Not destroyed," Megatron countered. "But lost to the stars megacycles ago, when this war was still young."

Soundwave was nodding in agreement. "Statement: true. Ancient Decepticon records tracked it to this planet." His visor flashed and then showed an archival image matching that of the hammer Megatron held. The warlord nodded smartly and rested the Forge on his shoulder.

"We have acquired what we came for," he rumbled. "Back to base."

* * *

When Megatron arrived back at base, it was well past full dark. He found Starscream recharging on the couch in the main living area of their quarters, lying on his side with his wings tucked up behind his shoulders and a hand resting on his belly. A stack of datapads sat on the floor nearby. Megatron paused in the entryway, the Forge still over his shoulder, and gazed at his mate with a tiny smile on his lips.

Megatron was pleased with how this cycle had ended. While it hadn't started out so well, due to his mate's occasional lack of common sense, it had come to an unexpectedly pleasant conclusion with the discovery of the Forge. Megatron could only assume the Autobots hadn't been able to locate the relic due to a lack of equipment or time. Granted, the Forge would be useless in Megatron's hands since he wasn't a Prime but it gave him something much more important; bargaining power. He had no doubt that Optimus would want to secure the Forge as soon as he realized it was gone and he would have to come crawling to Megatron for it.

That thought made the warlord's smile widen.

As if feeling the gaze on him, Starscream stirred and slowly sat up, swinging his feet down onto the floor and rubbing at bleary optics. He started a little when realized Megatron was nearby.

"I see you've returned. How did it go?" the Seeker asked tiredly, looking up at his mate.

Megatron grinned and stepped down from the entryway, swinging the Forge down from his shoulder and hefting it in both hands, letting his second get a good look at it. Starscream's optics widened.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Megatron nodded. "The long-lost Forge of Solus Prime herself," he confirmed.

Starscream chuckled. "Won't Prime have a fit when he figures out we have it?"

"That's the idea," Megatron said, leaning the Forge up against the end of the couch and then sitting down next to his mate. "What were you doing?" He jerked his chin toward the pile of datapads.

Starscream sighed. "I finished up the day's reports and then I tried to do some reading that Hook wanted me to do."

Megatron's optic ridges drew together in concern. "Is there a problem I don't know about?"

"No, nothing like that," Starscream assured him. "Just some what-to-expect type reading for me as a carrier. But I got so tired I fell asleep."

Megatron smiled a little and leaned over to kiss his mate's helm. "In that case, shall we go to our berth? There's not enough room for both of us out here."

Starscream nodded. Before he could register what was happening, Megatron had gathered the Seeker into his arms and stood, drawing a startled squeal from the jet. Starscream looped his arms around Megatron's neck as the warlord picked him up with arm behind his knees, another behind his shoulders and carried him off to their bedchamber. Behind them, the Forge gleamed with the promise of the future.

* * *

Some two hundred miles away, night shrouded the Autobot base from prying eyes. It was nestled deep in a desert canyon, a full day's drive from any civilization. The Cybertronian life forms which inhabited the base numbered fewer than their Decepticon counterparts, but they possessed just as much, if not more, fighting spirit and combat skills than most of the Con army combined. These Autobots were the toughest of their kind, and had faced the worst this long-lived war had had to offer and survived, whether by luck or skill or a combination of both. Now they were gathered in their command center, discussing the latest development in their struggle with their enemies. They had all listened carefully as Optimus Prime relayed the morning's encounter with the Decepticon elite trine, exchanging glances among themselves. When Prime had finished speaking, the matter was opened up to discussion.

"I don't know, Prime," Ironhide rumbled, appearing skeptical. "Why should we worry about Megatron and his whore reproducing? It's not like the sparkling could be used on the battlefield right away."

"But that's where you're wrong, Hide," Arcee cut in. "We have every right to be worried. Even if we managed to terminate Megatron and Starscream once and for all, now there will be a direct heir for the army to rally behind. Besides, the little one would be brought up to be just as conniving as its carrier and just as bloodthirsty as its sire."

"Arcee is correct, " Prime said in his deep baritone. "We cannot allow that sparkling to be brought up among Decepticons. The young one deserves a chance at a better life. A life free from corruption and hate. Sparklings are born innocent, regardless of who their creators are."

"What are you suggesting?" Ratchet asked with an arched optic ridge. "Kidnapping the sparkling?"

There was a pause during which none of the Autobots spoke and all looked to their leader to see his reaction. Prime seemed to be mulling over his options. Kliks passed. Finally, Optimus answered in a grave tone.

"While I do not condone such underhandedness, it may be our best option. We will watch and see how things develop in the coming orns." The big bot sighed. "I do not favor this course of action but we will do what we must."

The others nodded slowly. They had always done what was necessary. If that included taking a sparkling from its creators, so be it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, another update! Woo-hoo! So...not alot going on in this chapter besides Megatron helping Starscream unwind and then Warp and Thunder have some shocking news! Please read and review! Thanks to all who have enjoyed this little tale for helping me have a great year on FF. Hope you all have a great holiday and see you next year!**

* * *

Megatron hated paperwork. He usually made Soundwave do most of it for him but there were still some things a tyrant had to do himself. Today however, Megatron had elected to do all his paperwork himself. Leaving Soundwave in charge of the base, he'd retreated to his quarters, taking his datapad with him and leaving strict orders to not be disturbed. He intended to do some report writing but he mostly just wanted some private time with his sparkmate.

Things around the base had been quiet the last few orns. No major skirmishes, only a few small raids that were easily handled. It was almost as if the Autobots were losing their enthusiasm for warfare.

Megatron had entered his quarters to find Starscream already hard at work at his computer terminal, situated across the room from Megatron's workstation. The warlord dumped his datapad on his desk then sidled up behind his second-in-command quietly.

"You can creep around all you want, Megatron," Starscream told him without even looking up, "you know you'll never be able to sneak up on me." It was impossible to miss the note of smugness in the Seeker's scratchy voice.

Megatron sighed. It was true; he'd been trying to surprise his second for a long time now and hadn't yet been successful. It was unlikely he ever would be. Giving up, Megatron stepped up behind Starscream's chair and leaned down to loop his arms around the flier's shoulders and kiss his slender neck. Starscream's fingers paused over his keyboard as he tipped his head to the side, allowing his commander greater access to his neck cables. Megatron nipped at them gently and Starscream gave a little delighted gasp, then purred deep in his throat. The sound never failed to please Megatron; it meant Starscream liked whatever he was doing and that knowledge was satisfying for the warlord. Megatron reached up and drug a fingertip around the rim of one of the jet's shoulder vents; this prompted his second to moan softly.

"Please don't tease me, my lord," Starscream murmured. "I'm already frustrated enough."

Megatron knew this was true. They hadn't interfaced in weeks and the lack of lovemaking was beginning to take its toll. Only the knowledge that there was a good medical reason for why they shouldn't kept Megatron from scooping Starscream out of his chair and taking him straight to their berth. Megatron nuzzled his mate's neck.

"I'm sorry, love," he said softly. "I know it's hard. Every time I see you I just want to have my way with you right there, and I don't care who would be there to witness it."

Starscream chuckled. "Now you're beginning to understand how I feel. Now imagine it times ten. The wonders of raging hormones," he said dryly.

"Speaking of hormones, that reminds me..." Megatron's tone was playful as his hands slid down Starscream's smooth sides then came forward to cup his belly. "How's the little one today?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Kicking the slag out of my tanks, tossing and turning. He's got to be a Seeker; it certainly feels like he's already practicing for aerial maneuvers." Starscream laid his own hands over Megatron's and guided them to where the fluttering could be felt. Starscream held still for a moment as Megatron concentrated on the faint movement. The jet turned his head to look up at his mate and it warmed his spark to see the expression of awe on Megatron's face.

"I'm eager to see what he looks like," Megatron confessed.

"I'm sure he'll look like his sire," Starscream said with a grin.

Megatron shook his head. "Primus forbid! I hope he doesn't. I hope he looks like you. In fact, Hook said your Seeker genes will be more dominant in his physical makeup."

Starscream looked surprised. "Really? He never told me that."

Megatron laughed. "I'm sure he didn't want to have to listen to you crowing about it to anyone who would listen."

Starscream pretended to appear offended but he didn't deny the accusation. Megatron smiled and said, "I am certain our son will be perfect and beautiful like you, my love." He leaned down and caught Starscream's mouth with his and kissed the Seeker thoroughly. When Megatron straightened up, they were both cycling air rapidly.

"It'll be nice to frag again too," Starscream muttered, turning back to his monitor. Megatron chuckled again, then patted his mate's belly before removing his hands.

"Not much longer now," he comforted. "I'm going to attempt to get something done, and you have work to finish also, so I'll leave you to it." The warlord kissed his second's neck once more, quickly, before stepping away. Starscream pulled himself toward his desk again, as close as his belly would allow. Megatron could hear him cursing under his breath and smiled in amusement.

Megatron sat at his desk and turned to his paperwork, forcing his processor to concentrate on the task at hand. But it was hard when Starscream was mere yards away; Megatron just wanted to sit and watch his lover as he went about his business. There was just something, maybe the unconscious grace inherent in every move the Seeker made, that made watching him the most fascinating thing in the entire universe. Megatron only managed to make it through three reports before he found his attention and his optics straying from his datapad to lock on Starscream.

The Air Commander had given up trying to get situated at a comfortable distance from his desk and instead had pushed away from it, leaning back in his chair as he intently scrolled through his own datapad, no doubt reviewing routine reports from his trinemates and the Coneheads. One leg was crossed casually over the other at the ankles and Megatron found himself drinking in the sight of those long, elegant legs. Movement higher up and the warlord's optics flicked up to watch as Starscream absently gnawed at a deceptively delicate clawed fingertip. Megatron knew how sharp those claws could be. His processor drifted to memories of all the times they'd dug into his armor or into the metallic surface of their shared berth, leaving deep grooves behind, the evidence of the throes of passion. Megatron had to bite back a groan...

Starscream's chewing trailed off and his hand fell, coming to rest on his belly. Megatron now watched those same potentially lethal claws lazily swirl in gentle circles, another unconscious motion that proved to be fascinating. Truthfully, everything Starscream did was fascinating.

Megatron was so lost in these thoughts that he didn't notice right away that Starscream's expression of concentration had turned to one of vague discomfort. The warlord realized something was wrong when his second put aside his datapad and straightened in his chair, shifting uncomfortably. The jet's wings hitched high as they did when Starscream was either nervous or in pain.

Megatron stood. "Starscream, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"I don't know," Starscream said faintly, optic ridges drawing together in a slight grimace. "It just hurts, right here." He rubbed at a spot along the side of his belly.

Megatron came around his desk and was at his lover's side in a moment. "You're going to see Hook, right now."

Starscream shook his head. "I don't need to see Hook," he protested. "I'm fine." A moment later, he gasped in pain and rubbed his belly again.

"You're not fine. You're going to the medbay," Megatron said sternly, taking Starscream by the upper arm and helping him out of his chair.

The warlord bustled his mate through the halls for the short trip to the medbay; all the while Starscream complained and insisted he didn't need medical attention, even as his pain grew worse and they had to stop twice as the Air Commander doubled over with a gasp each time, clutching at his belly. Finally, the doors to the medbay loomed ahead and Megatron rushed inside, Starscream in tow.

"Hook!" Megatron bellowed. "Hook, get over here. Now!"

Immediately, the medic appeared. He took one look at Starscream, who was nearly bent over again with the pain, and ushered the pair over to the nearest berth. Megatron gripped Starscream under his arms and lifted the Seeker up onto the table. Starscream leaned back on his arms, panting softly.

"It's much worse than last time," he muttered breathlessly.

"What do you mean, last time?!" Megatron and Hook both exclaimed in unison.

Starscream looked sheepish, like a sparkling caught with his hand in the Energon treats. "Um...nothing?"

"This has happened before?" Hook demanded, as he hurriedly drug a scanner over.

"Well," Starscream began. "Just a few times recently. One morning last week, I woke up with this dull pain right here." He indicated a spot on his belly near his canopy. "I figured I'd recharged in a weird position or something. It went away after a while and I didn't think anything more of it. Then just two cycles ago, I sat in on a mission briefing with my trinemates and in the middle of it, out of nowhere I got this stabbing pain here." He pointed out the same place that was currently hurting him. "I had to get up and leave. I didn't want them to panic over me." He smiled wryly. "The other time was yesterday. I was working in the communication center and it just hit me again, in the same place. I sat there till I couldn't stand it anymore and then I went to our quarters and decided to take an Energon bath. That helped."

Hook had listened intently and now nodded. "And you didn't think to say something to me?"

Starscream shrugged. "I didn't think it was that important," he admitted. "You had told me some pain was normal so I wasn't too concerned. And then there was that shipment of wounded from the last battle and then I figured you were too busy tending to them to worry about lil' old me."

Hook shook his head. "Not important huh? It's not important that you're carrying Lord Megatron's offspring?"

Starscream opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. A flush of embarrassment spread across the Air Commander's handsome faceplates. He slumped on the berth, properly chastened. "I'm sorry," he murmured, to both the medic and his lover.

Megatron patted his mate's knee to let him know there were no hard feelings and then moved back to allow Hook room to work. The medic busied himself attaching a few cables to Starscream's wrist and another to his side.

"I'm just going to run a few basic scans," he explained as he twisted the knobs on the machine. "I think I know what's going on, but it never hurts to double-check."

Silence reigned as the scanner did its job and Starscream sat meekly, refusing to look at Megatron. Megatron attempted to catch his gaze, but the jet's amber optics remained stubbornly downcast. The warlord knew his second was feeling guilty.

"Just as I thought," Hook announced a moment later. He looked up at Megatron and then at Starscream. "How much have you been working lately? And be truthful."

Starscream looked sheepish. "I've stayed busy," he said quietly. Hook's gaze narrowed and the Seeker hurried to defend himself. "Well, the work was piling up and someone had to do it. There were all the routine reports from the last orn, and then I had to order supplies and then Thunder needed my help with the new recruits..." He trailed off when Megatron joined Hook in glaring at him.

"What did I tell you about working too hard?" Hook asked.

"Why didn't you let someone else do that slag?" Megatron demanded. "You're second-in-command, for Primus' sake. You could have ordered someone to do it."

Starscream bristled at the reprimands. "Look, I know what I was told," he snapped, optics flashing. "And I'm sorry I didn't follow orders. You both know I'm good at that. I got restless and needed something to do. So I went about my duties like I normally would. I'm still a soldier, dammit!"

Both Hook and Megatron appeared somewhat surprised by the Air Commander's outburst. Silence hung between the three of them for a long moment. Then Starscream spoke again, his raspy voice quieter this time.

"I've just felt so useless lately," he admitted. "It's been hard now that I can't fly."

"I understand," Hook said. "But I told you those things for your own good."

"I know," Starscream sighed. "And I'll try to do better."

"Good," Hook said briskly. "You're entirely too stressed out. That's what is causing you pain. Too much stress and you could go into labor early and we don't want that. So please, please, take it easy and try to relax."

Starscream nodded. Hook pointed at Megatron. "You. Keep an eye on him," the medic ordered sternly. "And figure out some way to help him unwind."

A moment later, Megatron nodded, a decidedly evil smirk playing on his lips. "I think I know just the thing," the warlord rumbled. Taking Starscream by the elbow, he hustled him to the doors and out into the hallway.

Once inside their quarters, Megatron locked the door behind them and then turned off his comm link. He didn't wish to be disturbed by anyone or see another bot besides Starscream until the next morning.

Starscream had wandered ahead to their bedchamber, and Megatron trailed after him, enjoying the sight of the Seeker's elegant wings as they twitched. The warlord stopped in the doorway and leaned on the doorjamb, watching his mate as Starscream sat down on the edge of their berth. He was lacking some of his usual grace, thanks to his swollen belly, but he was still undeniably beautiful. Megatron would never think otherwise.

Starscream was looking a bit worried. "I think I know what you're thinking, Megatron," he said with a sigh. "And Hook said we can't."

"I know what Hook said we can't do," Megatron replied, his tone husky. "That still leaves us with some options. We're going to take advantage of those raging hormones of yours." He grinned. "Nothing is more relaxing than a good overload. Or two."

Starscream couldn't help the thrill that sped through his nerve endings at his mate's words. And he certainly couldn't deny that he'd been horny as Pit lately. His wings quivered slightly at the thought of what Megatron might have in mind.

"Oh," he said as his vents stuttered with a sudden rush of desire. "You already have the whole night planned out, don't you?"

"Not particularly," Megatron murmured as he pushed away from the doorjamb and strolled lazily toward the berth. "My only goal is to discover how many times I can make you overload between now and sunrise."

Starscream found that his intakes were coming rapidly and he was moments away from his cooling fans kicking on. He gave a weak laugh. "I don't think that will be an issue."

Megatron grinned. "It never is." He stopped in front of Starscream, slowly nudging a knee between his mate's and pushing his thighs open. Starscream's optics never left Megatron's, even as the Seeker's fans began to cycle. Megatron sank to his knees, inching closer to his mate as his hands came up to squeeze Starscream's knees, then slid down, tracing over his shins before wrapping around his slim calves. His fingertips dipped into grooves in the jet's armor, teasing the wires underneath, stroking at hidden circuitry. The warlord took his time, putting an exquisite amount of detail into his perusal of Starscream's legs.

By the time Megatron reached Starscream's dainty ankles, the Air Commander was breathless, his optics dim with arousal. Megatron smiled to himself and continued on, dragging claws lightly across sensitive ankle plating before carefully picking up the Seeker's foot and cradling it in his large servo. He'd always appreciated the beauty of Starscream's feet; they were constructed delicately, the slender arches and heels lending the Seeker his trademark hip-swaying walk. Megatron's fingers reverently swept over the contours of the pede he held, his lips and then his glossa following. Above him, Starscream moaned and trembled, his wings visibly quivering.

"Megatron..." he gasped. "If you keep doing that-" He couldn't get any more words out, his vocalizer cutting out with a burst of static as Megatron nipped at his arch.

As much as Megatron was enjoying the reaction he was getting from so little effort, he had other ideas. He released Starscream's pede as his second whined in disappointment. Megatron chuckled.

"Patience, love," he rumbled. "You'll get your release soon enough."

The warlord moved forward and settled himself between Starscream's thighs. He wasn't surprised to see that little trickles of lubricant were beginning to leak out from behind the seams of his mate's interface panel. Megatron felt his own cooling fans turn a little faster at the sight.

"Open up, Starscream," he commanded, his voice a husky growl.

Starscream groaned and let his panel slide back with a soft click, revealing his dripping valve to Megatron's hungry gaze. Leaning in, he ghosted a trail of kisses up Starscream's inner thigh, before laving his glossa around the rim of the jet's valve, drawing a sharp gasp from the smaller mech. Megatron paused, letting his mate's anticipation build. Starscream squirmed impatiently on the edge of the berth.

"Wha- what are you doing?" he demanded breathlessly. "Please stop teasing me, my lord!"

Megatron grinned and leaned forward, dipping his glossa deep into Starscream's aching valve. His mate cried out, hands shooting out to find some stability in clutching at Megatron's broad shoulders. Megatron's glossa swirled and lapped, exploring Starscream's valve. Each time he passed over the cluster of sensors at the top of the port, Starscream bucked against him, declaring his ecstasy loudly and freely, helm thrown back and optics shuttered. Megatron's hands came up to grip his second's hips tightly, firmly holding his pelvis in place before diving back in and earnestly working to bring his mate to overload.

It only took a few more kliks. Megatron sat back just in time to see Starscream's body arch in release, his claws digging into Megatron's shoulder armor as he screamed. His valve clenched and rippled and gave out a rush of fluid which dripped onto the berth and the floor. It was a beautiful sight, one which Megatron never tired of seeing. It gave him satisfaction knowing that he was the only mech who had ever managed to bring the gorgeous Air Commander to these heights of pleasure.

Starscream slumped forward, loose-limbed and too relaxed to care about the mess between his legs. A slight smile played on his lips and he leaned over to kiss Megatron gratefully.

"Thank you." He sighed contentedly. "I needed that."

Megatron chuckled. "I know. How about we go get you cleaned up?" The warlord got to his feet and offered Starscream his hand. He took it and Megatron led the way to the washrack adjoining their bedchamber. Once there, Megatron twisted the knobs and within moments they were standing under a steady stream of pleasantly warm water. Starscream turned his face up to the spray with shuttered optics, reveling in the feel of the water running across his armor. When he felt Megatron's strong arms slide around him from behind, he sighed happily and leaned back against his mate. The warlord's lips found their way to Starscream's slender neck, kissing softly before nipping at the junction of neck and shoulder. The Seeker shivered at the sudden spike of pleasure that shot through his lines, but kept his optics closed.

Megatron moved a moment later, arms leaving their place at Starscream's waist. He reached for the sponge and the bottle of cleanser on the ledge on the wall nearby, squeezing out enough soap onto the sponge to create a generous lather. Then he applied the scrubber to Starscream's back struts, right between his wings. From there, he worked outward, across the thin plating of his mate's wings. Starscream sighed and his wings moved into a wide, low stance as he relaxed even more. Before long, soft clicks of pure contentment were coming from his vocalizer. Megatron smiled and kissed his shoulder, then continued working his way down the jet's back to his aft.

Megatron put the sponge aside in favor of using his sudsy hands on that perfect aft, massaging and squeezing slowly as Starscream's last remaining vestiges of tautness melted away. He kneaded down into the backs of the Seeker's thighs before skimming his hands back up along his second's sides. Megatron stepped forward, closing the gap between them as he pressed his chestplates against Starscream's back once more. His arms wrapped around the jet once more, large hands coming to rest on Starscream's belly.

"The sparkling is happy," Starscream murmured, covering Megatron's hands with his and lacing their fingers together. ""He's glad that I'm finally relaxed and not worried about anything." He paused and Megatron knew he was listening through the carrier-sparkling bond. When he spoke again, the warlord could hear the smile in the Seeker's voice.

"He likes it when you touch my belly. He can feel your energy field. And he says he can't wait to see you."

Megatron was caught by surprise at the sudden rush of emotion that flooded him; so much love and joy that he thought his spark would burst, mixed with protectiveness and pride. He kissed Starscream's neck.

"I love him already," he whispered near his mate's audio. "Just as fiercely as I love you."

Starscream turned his helm for a kiss. "I love you, Megatron. I always will."

Megatron let his hand slip down between Starscream's legs as he continued to kiss his second, dipping his glossa into the Seeker's willing mouth. The warlord's fingers found the outer cluster of sensory nodes above the jet's valve and brushed over them. The area was slick with water and Starscream's fluids left over from his previous overload; combined with the soap still coating his digits, it made for an easy sliding of his fingertips. Starscream gasped and his hips jerked; as Megatron's claws scraped over the sensors again he moaned into their kiss.

Megatron nipped at Starscream's lower lip before taking it into his mouth and sucking gently at it. At the same time, he slid a finger inside Starscream's slick valve, pushing in all the way up to his second knuckle. He moved his finger in and out slowly, setting a rhythm that Starscream began to follow with his hips. Megatron added another digit and Starscream moaned, rolling his pelvis a little faster, urging Megatron to pick up the pace. The warlord groaned and bit at his mate's shoulder; the Seeker's perfect aft was grinding against his panel in the most pleasantly torturous way. Megatron could feel his spike straining against its housing, fully pressurized and begging for release. He found himself desperately wishing he could take his second right there on the washrack floor. He growled at the thought and drove his own hips forward into Starscream's.

The Seeker was panting and whimpering and Megatron could feel his tight, hot valve clenching around his fingers and the warlord knew his mate was close, on the edge of another overload. It hadn't taken much; Starscream had always been a highly responsive lover but ever since he'd been carrying it never took more than a few kliks to overload him. Hook had explained the medical reason behind it, citing increased Energon flow to the entire pelvic region as the origin for the jet's quick arousal, but Megatron had spent the last few orns of the carrying cycle enjoying it for what it was. He realized he would miss this once the sparkling was born.

Starscream's cry of ecstasy echoed off the tiled walls of the washrack as he arched in Megatron's arms, overloading hard with a gush of fluid that spilled over the bigger mech's hand and streaked down his inner thighs. The Seeker fell back against Megatron's chest, cooling fans roaring and intakes wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. Megatron kissed the corner of his mate's jaw.

"Oh, that was better than the first one," Starscream sighed. "I'm exhausted."

Megatron chuckled. "Alright, I suppose I can let you rest now."

"Just let me wash up," Starscream muttered, leaning down and reaching for the discarded sponge on the floor. He sighed in defeat when his fingertips fell just short. "I can't reach anything with this belly. I can't even see my own feet anymore!"

Megatron let go of him and bent to get the sponge. "Only another orn," he reassured his mate, handing the scrubber over. Starscream took it and carefully washed between his legs, then scrubbed the lubricant from his thighs. A klik of standing directly under the stream of water washed the suds away. Megatron smiled at the sight of the sleepy Seeker enjoying the spray of the shower head.

"Come on," he said, taking Starscream by the hand. "Before you fall asleep standing up."

Starscream allowed himself to be led out of the shower, then stood obediently as Megatron dried him off with a towel. Lastly, the warlord scooped him up in his arms and carried him off to their berth. Starscream was had already fallen into recharge by the time they got there.

* * *

The next morning dawned soft and rosy. Starscream woke slowly, aware of himself being cradled in Megatron's embrace as the large mech continued to slumber. The Seeker felt content and happy, relaxed and calm. He was right where he wanted to be, snug and secure at his mate's side. He wondered how it was that he could have been this lucky.

Starscream was lazily drifting off toward recharge again when the ping of his comm unit startled him into wakefulness. He answered it groggily.

:Commander Starscream here:

:Screamer, it's Warp! Wake up! Thunder and I have something to tell you!:

Starscream winced at the volume of his trinemate's voice. :Can't it wait till later?:

:Aw come on, Screamer! I'm dying of excitement!:

Starscream sighed. :Alright, fine. This better be good. Come to my quarters.:

:Ok, see you soon!: The connection clicked and went dead. Starscream shut off his comm link as he shook his head. Skywarp had way too much energy for this early in the day.

Starscream sat up, carefully maneuvering out from under Megatron's arm, and slid out of bed without waking his mate. Rubbing at bleary optics, he left the bedchamber and headed out to the main living area. He didn't even have a chance to sit down before the chime at the main door sounded. He punched the button on the entryway wall and the portal hissed open to reveal his trinemates in the corridor. Skywarp was practically vibrating with excited energy; behind him Thundercracker was more reserved but there was a gleam in his optics Starscream hadn't seen in a long time.

Something was definitely up.

Skywarp pushed in through the doorway, already babbling. "I'm sorry it's so early, Screamer, but we couldn't wait till later in the day to tell you and it's only right that you be the first to know. Primus, I never thought this would happen!" The black and purple Seeker was grinning madly.

"What would happen?" Starscream asked faintly, confused. "What's going on?" He looked to Thundercracker for some help.

Thundercracker shrugged and then smiled as he stepped close to his trineleader. "We just came from the medbay. It was time for our routine checkups. And-"

Skywarp cut his mate off mid-sentence. "And we're having a sparkling!"

Starscream stared at his trinemate. "What?"

"Hook found it on my spark scan," Warp rambled on. "It's about an orn old. I guess that explains why I've been so tired lately."

"But-but you haven't even been sick," Starscream stammered.

"Only a little," Warp amended. "Hook said it's different for every carrier. Your sickness was an extreme case."

Starscream frowned. "That figures."

Thundercracker touched Starscream's arm. "Aren't you happy, Screamer?"

"Well, yes," Starscream said defensively. "Sure I'm happy for you guys. It's just that it's such...a risk." He turned and looked Thundercracker square in the optics. "You don't know how much I've worried about this war and my own sparkling. Now I'll have to worry about a trine-nephew, too!"

Thundercracker smiled. "Look, I know the circumstances aren't ideal. But we've wanted a sparkling for a long time. Since you and Megatron have found a way to make this work so far, it seemed like now was as good a time as any."

Starscream couldn't deny that underneath his worry, the idea of his trinemates having a little one of their own thrilled him. The idea of another Seekerlet was good news. And it made him happy that his son would have someone his own age to grow up with. He grinned and reached out to Skywarp for a hug. The next several kliks were spent with the trine embracing and laughing. There were kisses and declarations of love from all parties. Despite this, Starscream knew he and Megatron would have to have a serious talk about this.

Whatever happened with the Autobots would no longer just be affecting their son. Now there would be even more at stake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry this chapter is shorter. The rest of them will be much longer. This is pretty much just filler from the last chapter to the next, but some important points are brought up, along with a little fluff. Please read and review! Thanks!**

* * *

"WHAT?!" Megatron roared, his voice echoing off the walls of the main living area of his and Starscream's quarters. The warlord was angry, no doubt about it. "This is exactly what we don't need! More sparklings mean more weak points for the Autobots to exploit."

Starscream sat on the edge of the couch nearby, twisting his fingers nervously in his lap. His wings were hitched high, twitching and jerking, easily betraying his agitation. He had known Megatron wouldn't be happy about the news, but Hook had warned them about this type of thing happening several orns ago. He said as much to Megatron.

The Decepticon warlord clenched his fists in frustration. "Are you saying we should have been expecting this?!" he bellowed. "I would have thought this army had more sense, especially your blasted trinemates!"

"They _are_ sensible!" Starscream huffed indignantly.

"They could have fooled me!" Megatron said sourly, glaring at his mate. "I cannot believe they would do something like this after they have known the risk with the Autobots having seen you. Apparently, your skills as their commanding officer have been lacking as of late."

"So you're going to make this a personal attack on me now?!" Starscream exclaimed, optics widening incredulously. "They're a mated pair, Megatron! I can't control how they interface nor do I wish to." He snorted. "Be thankful they have waited this long to become creators."

"I will not stand for this!" Megatron growled, pacing in front of the couch. "Thundercracker and Skywarp simply cannot be allowed to have a sparkling. The liability is too great!"

"What are you proposing?" Starscream asked with a startled gasp, looking up at his mate with dawning horror. "That they go to Hook and terminate it?"

"What else would I be referring to?"

Megatron's words rang out coldly in the large room. Starscream froze, even his wings ceasing to move. All he could do was gape at his mate. Megatron stared back steadily. Kliks passed as he waited for his second's reaction. Finally, Starscream found his voice.

"You can't really mean that," he said in a faint whisper.

"Why wouldn't I?" Megatron asked softly, an all too familiar hard edge to his voice. Starscream knew that tone; he'd been hearing it for centuries, after all. It was the tone Megatron used when he'd made up his mind and wouldn't be persuaded otherwise. "Their offspring is expendable."

"Only because it isn't yours, you mean!" Starscream shot back, instantly angry. His optics flashed even as coolant flooded them. "Primus, you're an aft! I should have terminated your sparkling when I had the chance! A fine sire you'll be!"

The Seeker's words stopped Megatron's furied pacing and he stared at his mate. Tears ran freely down Starscream's faceplates and the jet swiped at them uselessly, refusing to meet the warlord's gaze. His vents hitched on a sob periodically. Megatron's spark clenched at the sight and he felt his anger rapidly dissipate. Instantly, he felt guilty for his outburst and his harsh words. But this was how he and his second had always fought, with raised voices and bitter utterances which only caused regret later. After a moment, he cautiously seated himself beside his mate. He wanted nothing more than to take the Seeker in his arms and hold him, but Starscream swatted his hands away.

"Don't touch me, you fragger," the Air Commander said, scooting away from Megatron. Starscream had meant to sound fierce but his words had come out shakily, his voice wavering.

A few more kliks of silence hung heavy between them. Finally, Megatron felt he should say something.

"Starscream, I love you and you'll never know how happy I am that you didn't run off to Hook and terminate our sparkling." He reached out and took the Seeker's chin in his fingers, turning his helm and catching his mate's gaze. This time, Starscream didn't fight him. Megatron's thumb caressed Starscream's smooth cheek, swiping away his tears.

"Why can't you let my trinemates know that kind of happiness?" Starscream asked softly. "They've wanted a sparkling for a long time, but they knew it wouldn't please you." His lips twisted slightly in a wry smile. "And obviously, it hasn't."

Megatron sighed. "You do understand the reason for my anger, don't you?"

Starscream nodded and Megatron released his chin. "Yes, as a commanding officer, I do," he said quietly. "As a carrier, I don't agree with it." He paused and gave a disbelieving chuckle. "Did I just refer to myself as a carrier?"

Megatron smiled. "Well, that's what you are. And you have been an excellent one. I have no doubt that you'll be even better once our little one comes into this world." He leaned over and kissed Starscream gently. "I am well aware of how much of an aft I can be and I am deeply sorry for it and for causing you pain. Sometimes it seems that's all I'm good at." He frowned.

"I forgive you," Starscream said with a small smile. "I knew coming into this that it wouldn't always be easy."

"But I haven't always made it easier for you when I could have," Megatron countered. "I want to be a good sire, Starscream."

"I know," Starscream said softly. "Everything would be so much clearer if we weren't fighting this damned war!"

"Starscream," Megatron said suddenly, his optics becoming intent and his tone full of gravity. "I have been doing a lot of thinking regarding this war and I am, in all honesty, growing tired of it." He paused and looked his second directly in the optics. "The engineering crews have nearly finished repairing the _Nemesis'_ hyperdrive engines. What would you say to leaving this dirtball and heading back to Cybertron?"

Starscream was speechless. It was the first he'd heard of the news regarding the Decepticon warship; that was Soundwave's area. And he certainly hadn't expected Megatron to put the idea forth. The Seeker found himself clutching his mate's hands tightly in his own.

"Home," he whispered.

"Yes, Starscream," Megatron said softly. "Home."

"But there's so much work to do, so much to be rebuilt," Starscream murmured.

"I know," Megatron admitted. "But we would have the flight back to worry about that." He paused and took in a deep cycle of air before continuing. "And we would also need every pair of hands available to help rebuild. Which has made me realize I have to end this war. For good." His voice held the weight of finality in every syllable.

"Optimus will never surrender," Starscream reminded his mate.

"I know and I have no intention of surrendering either," Megatron said. "I want this to be an agreement between him and I, not one side or the other simply giving up. While Optimus will never surrender, I believe he would agree to a ceasefire."

Starscream smiled. "That would certainly be the most dignified option and leave everyone's pride intact."

"Yes," Megatron agreed. "And then when we leave for Cybertron, the Autobots can journey with us."

"And we can all rebuild Cybertron together?" Starscream couldn't help the slightly skeptical look that flitted across his faceplates. "Sounds a little too good to be true."

Megatron chuckled. "I know it sounds unlikely. But I think you underestimate Optimus' desire for peace."

"Perhaps," Starscream conceded. "But what makes you think Optimus will even entertain the idea of meeting with you? I'm sure he'll brush it off as another of our dirty tricks. You and I both know that Prime doesn't trust you as far as he could throw you. And rightly so."

"You make a valid point, love," Megatron mused. The warlord appeared thoughtful. "I'll have to figure out a way to convince Prime that I'm serious. And hopefully do it before our son is born." Megatron's voice turned solemn and carried the weight of his conviction. "I do not want our sparkling growing up in the middle of a war. It's too dangerous and you know as well as I that someday Optimus and I are going to end up killing each other if we don't stop fighting. I don't want our son to grow up without both of his creators."

Starscream felt his spark swell with happiness at his mate's words. Somehow, he had always thought that he would never live to see the end of this cursed war, and that it would continue to rage on for many centuries after he'd cycled his last intake. Knowing that the end may soon be in sight gave him hope. Hope that he would see a revived Cybertron, teeming with life and industry once more. Hope that he would be able to see his son grow into a strong, accomplished mech. Hope that he would be blessed with being able to spend the rest of his life at Megatron's side. The Seeker leaned forward and touched Megatron's cheek tenderly.

"I am so proud of you," he murmured. "And I am so proud to be your mate."

Megatron's mouth curved in a beautifully genuine smile as he reached up and took Starscream's hand in his, bringing the jet's fingers to his lips for a kiss. "I'm proud to be yours, as well," he said softly. "You have made me very happy."

Starscream shivered at the words and found himself lunging forward, his mouth meeting Megatron's in a searing kiss. When the liplock ended, Starscream sat back and gazed up at Megatron innocently.

"Does any of this mean you've changed your mind regarding Thunder and Warp?" he asked hopefully.

Megatron looked down at him stoically for a moment before heaving a sigh and grinning a little. "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Starscream nodded emphatically. "Of course. I'm their trineleader, so anything of this magnitude concerns me. But they're also my friends and I love them both dearly. I just want them to be happy." He paused and touched his belly. "Besides, it would be nice for our son to have another bot his own age to grow up with."

Megatron sighed again. "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll let it slide for now, especially seeing as how I've decided to sue for peace. With an end to the war in sight, there's no reason they shouldn't be creators."

Starscream's smile was dazzling. "Thank you, my lord."

* * *

Later that same cycle, Megatron put out the order to all his troops to stand down. There would be no more raiding, no more hassling the Autobots. The Decepticon army had an adequate amount of Energon stored to last them several orns and they would be relying on that reserve until further notice. Megatron hoped that the lack of activity on his force's part would make Optimus Prime more receptive to talking over a truce.

When Starscream went to visit his trinemates that evening, he excitedly told them of Megatron's plan but left out the parts where they'd fought over Thundercracker and Skywarp's sparkling. No need to bring it up when the issue had been resolved. Starscream knew Megatron wouldn't go back on his word.

The three Seekers talked instead of happy things, of going home, rebuilding and having their place back in this vast universe.


	16. Chapter 16

**At long last, the all important chapter: Megs and Screamer welcome their son! Reviews would be lovely!**

* * *

Starscream shifted about restlessly, unable to find a comfortable position. What he really wanted was to roll over and lay on his side, but that required a herculean effort these days and he didn't want to disturb Megatron. The Decepticon warlord was deep in recharge next to the Seeker, his expression peaceful and relaxed in a way it never was while he was awake.

Starscream groaned softly and moved again, trying to ease the ache in his lower back. It had steadily gotten more acute over the past few cycles and there wasn't much he could do about it. Hook had refused to give him any painkillers for it, remaining steadfast despite Starscream's alternated begging and threatening. The medic had patiently explained that any chemicals in his system would not be good for the sparkling, especially this close to delivery.

"Come on, Screamer," Hook had said chidingly. "You're tough. What's the problem? I never thought a little discomfort would have you this out of sorts."

Starscream had glared at the medic. "Obviously you've never carried. The entire process is uncomfortable!"

And he knew it was only going to get worse. Truthfully, the Air Commander was nervous; the sparkling was due any cycle now and the waiting was beginning to fray his nerves. Waiting had never been Starscream's strong suit. He was much too impatient. Tonight something was off; the little one lay heavy and still, not even twitching. It was the lack of movement, the absence of kicking and fluttering, which unnerved Starscream the most. He'd grown accustomed to falling into recharge concentrating on the sparkling's acrobatics; now that there weren't any, he found he couldn't sleep. The fact that he'd grown increasingly uncomfortable in his own body didn't help matters, either.

The night was quiet, hushed, as if it were waiting. The sparkling lay still, as if waiting. And Starscream lay awake, waiting. Wondering if tonight would be the night.

Cycling a heavy sigh through his vents, the Seeker tried to relax but was unable to stop fidgeting. Beside him, Megatron stirred and Starscream looked over to find his mate facing him, crimson optics alert and full of concern.

"I'm sorry I woke you," Starscream murmured.

Megatron gave a small, one-shouldered shrug. "I've been half-awake for awhile, listening to you moving around." The warlord reached out to touch his mate's face; Starscream leaned his cheek into Megatron's palm, optics shuttered. "What's wrong, my love?" Megatron's deep voice rumbled softly.

"I can't sleep," Starscream said sullenly. "I can't get comfortable."

Megatron gave his second a gentle smile, just visible in the combined glow of their optics splitting the darkness. "Just a few more cycles, if that, and it will all be over, my little Seeker," he said reassuringly.

Starscream sighed again. "I love it when you call me that."

Megatron chuckled at the husky tone in his sparkmate's scratchy voice. The larger mech propped himself up on an elbow and leaned over and down to kiss Starscream's neck, nipping at the sensitive cables. Starscream gasped and then moaned as Megatron kissed his way up and then along the Seeker's jaw.

"When this is over," Megatron whispered, reaching out a hand to caress Starscream's nearest wing, "and as soon you're up to it, I'm going to frag you hard, all night long, until you live up to your name and scream for me so loud the entire base will hear. Does that sound good, my little Seeker?"

The last came out as a soft purr and Starscream shivered, moaning deep in his throat. All he could manage was a nod. Megatron leaned down again and his lips found Starscream's and he kissed the Air Commander thoroughly before settling down next to him again. Starscream's wings were quivering and Megatron could feel the heat emanating from the smaller mech's chassis. Megatron was satisfied that he'd successfully distracted his lover from his discomfort, even if momentarily.

"Now, how can I help you get comfortable?" Megatron looked at Starscream questioningly. In answer, the Seeker wriggled closer and Megatron understood that he just wanted to be held.

The warlord shifted onto his back and raised an arm so his mate could move closer. Starscream eased himself onto his side, his wing folding underneath him as he rested his head on Megatron's shoulder, tucking himself as close to his leader as his belly would allow. Megatron's arm went around Starscream's shoulders, fingers gently hooking on the underside edge of a wing. Starscream draped an arm across the warlord's chest and gave a contented sigh.

"Better?" Megatron asked, his thumb beginning to swirl across the wing's surface in slow, soothing circles.

"Very much so," Starscream replied, already sounding sleepy. Primus, he was tired these days.

"Starscream?"

"Mmmm?"

"Are you...well...do you still want to keep the sparkling?"

Starscream was instantly alert at the note of uncertainty in his master's tone. "Of course I do," he exclaimed. "I would never have willingly gone through with this whole thing otherwise. Why would you even think that, Megatron?"

"You've just seemed different about things this last orn," Megatron said quietly, worriedly. "I was afraid you'd changed your mind..."

"It's not that at all," Starscream said fiercely. "I want this sparkling just as much as you do. It's just...well..."

"What is it?" Megatron prodded gently.

"Well, its just that I'm...I'm scared." The Seeker finished the sentence in a faint whisper.

"You're scared?" Megatron sounded surprised. "You, my fearless Air Commander?"

"Yes, I'm scared slagless, actually," Starscream snapped peevishly, suddenly irritated. "I've never birthed a sparkling before. What if something goes wrong? What if I die? What if our child dies?"

Megatron could feel Starscream's hand between them, sliding over his belly, the movement protective.

"Calm down, love," Megatron soothed, giving his shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I'm a bit thrown off by your fear because you hide it so well." He paused, then murmured, "So that's why you've been less than enthusiastic lately."

"Yes." Starscream buried his face in his mate's shoulder. He was embarrassed by his fear but it was about time he owned up to it.

Megatron's hand came up to cover Starscream's fingers where they rested on his chestplate. "Have you talked to Hook about this?"

"Yes," Starscream replied, face still tucked against Megatron's shoulder armor. "He just told me I'd be fine. I'm strong and healthy and everything has gone well so far, so I shouldn't worry."

"Hook has a point," Megatron said as he stroked the length of each of Starscream's ebony fingers, one after another. "The cycle has gone smoothly. Why should you worry now?"

"I don't know," the Seeker sighed. "I guess I'm thinking about it too much."

"Well it is your first time, as you pointed out, so naturally you'd be nervous," Megatron conceded. He drew his mate closer, holding him tighter. "Don't be afraid, my Screamer. I promise you won't be alone. I won't leave your side for a moment." Megatron turned his head and kissed the top of Starscream's helm. "I love you."

Starscream's spark jumped as it always did when he heard his mate say those three words. "I love you, too," he whispered.

When Megatron spoke again, Starscream could hear his smile. "Rest now, my little Seeker."

Starscream lay in his lover's arms, content and finally comfortable, processor blissfully empty of troubling thoughts for the first time in a few orns. It didn't take long for him to drift off into a peaceful recharge.

* * *

The stillness only lasted a few joors.

In the deep, black dead of night, Megatron jolted awake, startled, when a piercing wail split the air. The sound echoed in the chamber and Megatron wondered if anyone else had heard it. Next he realized that Starscream's deceptively delicate talons were digging sharply into his chest armor as the rest of the Seeker's body arched away from Megatron, knees drawing up and upper torso bending downward as Starscream folded in on himself. Megatron sat up, gently detaching his lover's claws from his chest, and switched on the lights beside their berth. In the soft glow, the warlord took stock of the situation.

Starscream lay curled up on his side, wing still bent underneath his shoulder, arms across his belly, vents cycling air rapidly. A lingering expression of pain was still obvious on his fine features.

"Love..." Megatron reached out but hesitated, unsure if he should touch or not.

"Call Hook," Starscream gasped, still panting.

Megatron immediately keyed his comm, opening a private channel to Hook. After a number of impatient calls, the medic finally answered, sounding groggy.

"Hook here. What is it, Lord Megatron?"

Then, a mere moment later, it seemed to dawn on Hook as to just exactly why his lord would be hailing him in the middle of the night. He spoke again before Megatron had a chance to answer, sounding suddenly alert and wide awake. "Is Commander Starscream in labor?"

"Yes. What do you want to do?" Megatron bit out the words, hating that he felt so lost, but he was smart enough to know he was out of his league. He had absolutely no experience with a situation like this. The whole carrying process had been as much of a learning experience for him as it had been for Starscream, albeit in a different way.

Hook was all business now, though he sounded vaguely excited. "When did the labor start, how far apart are his pains and has his seal broken yet?"

Megatron looked over at his mate. Starscream hadn't moved. The warlord reached out and touched the Seeker's shoulder; amber optics shifted and gazed up at him.

"When did this start?" Megatron asked softly.

"About a joor and a half ago," Starscream told him weakly. "The pains are about half a joor apart."

"What about your seal?"

Starscream shook his head, looking miserable. Megatron relayed the information to Hook, never taking his optics from his second-in-command. The medic sounded satisfied when he replied.

"There's some time, then. I'll go down to the medbay and make the final preparations."

"Hook, how much time are you talking about?" Megatron asked, feeling the first twinges of fear in his spark. He didn't relish the idea of having to spend joors and joors helplessly watching his mate suffer.

"A few joors at least," Hook replied absently. Megatron could hear him rummaging around on the other end of the line.

Oh, Primus. "What do I do?" The Decepticon leader was on the verge of panic for the first time in megacycles.

"Just do what you can to make the Commander comfortable," Hook said calmly, as if trying to sooth his leader's raw nerves. "The pain is only going to get worse, but he's just going to have to work through it. I already explained why I won't give him any painkillers." The medic sighed and then spoke again with a stern edge in his voice. "Stay calm, Megatron. You need to be calm for him. He needs to stay as calm as possible and it won't do any good for you to be having a breakdown."

Megatron scowled. "Yes, I understand."

"Good. Bring him to me when the seal breaks." With that, the medic cut the connection and the transmission ended.

Megatron had the disconcerting feeling of being stranded, left with the hardest job he'd ever had to do.

"What did he say?" Starscream had uncurled and rolled over onto his back. His raspy voice had regained most of its strength and Megatron noted with no small amount of relief that the Seeker was looking more like himself.

"He said there's a few joors to go, at the very least," Megatron said, optics studying his lover.

"Just what I wanted to hear," Starscream muttered sarcastically, sounding more and more like himself by the moment. Sighing, he raised an arm and covered his optics. "I was hoping I'd get lucky and this would be over quickly."

Megatron took in the sight for another moment before demanding, "Why didn't you wake me when the pains started?"

Starscream only managed a small shrug with his wing folded under his shoulder. "Why would I when there was nothing to tell you? It was uncomfortable but it didn't really hurt till that last one."

"Still, you should have woke me," Megatron groused with a scowl. "I told you I wouldn't let you go through this alone."

Starscream put his arm down and made to sit up. "I know you promised. You've got the rest of the night to keep that promise." He offered Megatron a small smile. "No need to be upset. Now help me up. I need to move around a bit."

Megatron helped him up and didn't let go of him until he was sure the jet was steady on his feet. Starscream brushed his mate's hands away. "I'm fine, Megatron. You'll know if I'm not."

Megatron sat on the edge of the berth and watched the Seeker pace the length of their quarters, up and down, back and forth, cursing softly and rubbing at his lower back just below his wing struts. The warlord couldn't help but reflect that even like this, in this moment, Starscream was still the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

Megatron kept a close watch on his internal chronometer and sure enough, at just under a half-joor, the next pain hit. Starscream froze, standing rigidly for a moment before doubling over with a strangled whimper. Megatron was beside him in a flash, gathering the Seeker in his arms and holding him close. Starscream clutched at Megatron's shoulders, digging his claws into the silver armor reflexively, his face buried against the larger mech's chest. Starscream cried out raggedly, unable to contain the pain any longer. Megatron's spark twisted in a mixture of sympathy and guilt and he hugged his mate tighter.

This time, the pain lasted longer and when it finally subsided, Starscream sagged against Megatron, his whole body shaking. The warlord supported his lover's weight easily and gently rubbed his lower back.

"Primus, that hurt," Starscream gasped. "Worse than any battle wound I've ever had."

Megatron believed him. "I'm so sorry, love," he said quietly, his hand moving up to stroke a quivering wing. "If I could take on the pain for you, I would."

Starscream snorted faintly. "You wouldn't want this, Megatron."

"For you, I would," Megatron insisted. "Primus knows how guilty I feel for putting you through this."

Starscream looked up at him, amber optics full of certainty. "It'll be worth it."

Three joors later, Starscream's seal finally broke. He'd continued to pace, wanting to keep moving for as long as possible. The pains got steadily worse and more frequent, until there were only fifteen breems between them. It was beginning to seem like this ordeal would never end. Megatron could not recall another night that seemed so damnably long in all his existence.

Megatron had finally convinced Starscream to come rest for a bit and now the Seeker was stretched out on their berth, his head in Megatron's lap, the warlord's fingertips lightly caressing the leading edge of a wing. There was companionable silence between them and Starscream seemed lost in his thoughts, his optics gazing up at the ceiling blankly. Megatron wondered idly what his mate was thinking of.

Suddenly, the smooth wing under Megatron's hand, which up till now had been faintly twitching and shifting, stiffened and froze. Megatron saw Starscream's brilliant optics darken before shuttering and he knew another pain had begun. Starscream groaned, drawing his knees up. The Air Commander slowly moved onto his side and curled up in much the same way he'd been when Megatron had first woke up to this nightmare. Megatron could plainly see the agonized grimace on his lover's face as he rode out the pain.

Megatron nearly jumped when Starscream moved swiftly after so much stillness, slamming his fist down on the berth with a clang. "Fuck, fuck, fuck that hurts!" Megatron was even more surprised to hear his second use the crude human word; but it was somehow wonderfully expressive, he reflected with irony.

Starscream sat up slowly when his pain had subsided and he cast a sideways glance at Megatron, who looked back at him with a mixed expression of shock and amusement and ever-present concern. The Seeker offered his mate a weary smile. "I've read a lot of human literature," he said by way of explanation. "For such small insignificant beings, they have an impressive vocabulary." Starscream chuckled for the first time in a few joors. "And some very creative curses."

Megatron couldn't help but smile at that; of course he knew that Starscream liked nothing better than to learn new and better ways to curse at his comrades when he was angry, which was quite often. He particularly enjoyed using his well-rounded vocabulary on those damned Coneheads. Megatron had always found this amusing and he was relieved that his mate had managed to retain his snarky sense of humor thus far.

Starscream pushed up from the berth and straightened up, stretching his wings out wide and giving them a little wiggle. Megatron took a moment to admire the sight before he noticed an odd plopping sound; at the same time, Starscream noticed it too. He bent to look down and let out a surprised gasp; bright iridescent blue streams of Energon were streaking down his thighs in swirling rivulets to drip off his knee armor onto the floor. Megatron's optics widened as Starscream looked up at him, his own optics equally wide.

"My seal broke," he said faintly, as if in amazement.

Immediately, Megatron was in motion. He was at Starscream's side in an astrosecond, scooping the shaking Seeker up in his arms and cradling him close. He called Hook as he headed for the door.

"Hook here."

"Hook, I am bringing Starscream to you. The seal broke."

"Copy that, Lord Megatron. I will be ready."

Megatron cut the transmission just as Starscream writhed in his arms, clutching at Megatron desperately as a fresh wave of pain took hold. His dental plates were gritted together, sharp fangs on full display, optics blazing nearly white as he tried to keep his composure. The door slid aside and Megatron strode out and down the corridor quickly, his footsteps the only sound in the vicinity. The rest of the base was still deep in recharge. It was almost as if Starscream didn't want to wake anyone.

Megatron reflected on Starscream's self-control; it was considerable, though not much used...except for times like this, when he felt it necessary to not show any weakness. Like expressing his pain in this situation could be considered weakness; only an idiot would buy that idea. Then again, the Decepticon ranks were full of idiots.

The worst pain yet hit a moment later and Starscream twisted in Megatron's arms so violently the warlord barely kept ahold of him. The Seeker threw his head back and howled so loudly the the entire base had to have heard. He beat on Megatron's chest with a fist, took in more air through already wheezing vents and screamed again. Megatron grimaced, dampening his audio sensors and picking up his pace.

As they passed the trine's quarters, the door hissed open and Skywarp stuck his head out, wondering who in the name of Cybertron was making all that racket. His optics widened at the sight of his trineleader squirming and screaming in Megatron's arms.

"That sounds like Screamer!" came Thundercracker's deep voice from inside the room.

"It is!" Skywarp called back. "Holy frag, Thunder, he's having the sparkling! We've got to get down to the medbay!"

Megatron barely noticed the presence of the other two Seekers until they were all inside the medbay. Hook met them at the door and guided Megatron to the corner berth that had been sectioned off from the rest of the room.

"Lay the Commander here, Lord Megatron," the medic instructed. "Then all of you stand back for a breem while I check things out."

Megatron laid his mate down gently, being careful not to jostle his wings too badly and add to his pain. Then he stepped back quickly, out of Hook's way. Megatron's hands were covered in Starscream's Energon and the sight made the warlord jittery. The first tendrils of true fear, not just anxiety, began to grip his spark.

Hook wore a serious expression as he ran a few short scans on Starscream's systems, then positioned himself at the foot of the berth, reaching out to grip Starscream by his thighs and pulling him nearer the end of the berth. He keyed in a simple command on the monitor hooked to the jet's systems, overriding control to his interface panel. The thin sheet of metal popped aside obediently. Hook then slid two fingers inside the Seeker's port and his expression became one of intense concentration. Starscream gasped at the intrusion and tried to wriggle away, but Hook held onto his thigh firmly with his free hand.

"Just relax, Commander," Hook said soothingly, still intent on whatever he was feeling. "Relax."

"What-what are you doing?" Starscream asked, the note of fear plain in his shaking voice.

"I'm just checking to see how far you've dilated," Hook explained. "You're nearly there. Everything feels normal." The medic withdrew his digits and wiped them off on a rag. He patted Starscream's knee. "Just try to stay as relaxed as possible. Once you're fully dilated, it'll be over quickly."

Hook moved away from the berth and over to a nearby table to ready the last bit of his equipment while Megatron moved back to Starscream's side, dragging a stool over and sitting down. Starscream reached for his hand and Megatron took it and held it firmly. He leaned over and kissed his mate's forehead tenderly.

"I love you," Megatron whispered and Starscream smiled faintly. And that was when Megatron became fully aware of the other Seekers. They had both settled in on the opposite side of the berth, next to one another so that their wings overlapped and their legs touched. Megatron knew they were a mated pair so their closeness didn't surprise him. Thundercracker held Starscream's hand between his own and Skywarp stroked Starscream's wing closest to him. Starscream seemed much more calm and relaxed with his wingmates nearby and this bothered Megatron; he hadn't counted on anyone else being present for the birth of his son.

"What are you doing here?" he growled at them over the berth.

Thundercracker turned placid amber optics up to gaze at him. It always unnerved Megatron how much the three looked alike; their builds the same, their optics the same color. But their personalities were vastly different and neither of the other two had the same fire in their optics that Starscream had, that spirit Megatron loved so much.

"We are here to support our trineleader," Thundercracker explained calmly.

Megatron scowled. "You presume to intrude on this occasion?"

Thundercracker shook his head. "Not intrude, Lord Megatron. We must be here. When one member of a trine delivers, the others must be present. We three are bonded in much the same way you two are spark-bonded."

"It's Seeker tradition!" Skywarp chimed in. "When our sparkling is born, we'll expect Screamer to be there."

"Your traditions do not concern me!" Megatron hissed.

"Maybe not, but they do concern me," Starscream spoke up, turning his head to fix Megatron with a steady, uncompromising gaze. His raspy voice was quiet but level as he continued. "I may be your mate, Megatron, but you should know by now that I am, first and foremost, a Seeker. This is one of our most precious traditions and I intend to honor it." His tone brooked no argument.

Megatron was silent for a long moment, faced with three pairs of glaring optics, before finally sighing. "Alright," he muttered.

Starscream favored him with a weary smile. In the next moment, that smile was rapidly replaced by a grimace and the Seeker tightened his grip on Megatron's and Thundercracker's hands until their servos ground under the strain. Thundercracker bared his teeth at the discomfort but showed no other reaction.

Skywarp leaned forward and continued to stroke his trineleader's wing while murmuring soft words of reassurance near Starscream's audio.

Starscream's back arched up off the berth as an agonized screech tore from his throat. Hook appeared at the end of the bed. "Hold him still," the medic ordered as he grabbed the second-in-command's knees and spread them apart as the Seeker continued to thrash. Hook reached down between Starscream's legs and quickly slid fingers inside him again, feeling about swiftly.

"He's fully dilated," Hook announced, withdrawing and stepping back. He pulled his cart full of instruments closer before moving back to his place at the foot of the berth. Starscream lay still now, panting. Hook rested his hands on Starscream's knees. "Commander, I need you to focus on me now," Hook said clearly. Starscream's optics locked on the medic.

"Good," Hook went on. "Keep your attention on me. I'm going to work you through this. When the next pain comes, I need you to push, really push. Okay?"

Starscream nodded, shifting until he was more comfortable. Then he looked over at Megatron with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Are you ready to meet your heir, my lord?"

Megatron couldn't help but grin. "You know I am."

Their gazes remained locked for another long moment before Starscream turned his head to look at his trinemates. "I'm glad you're both here," Megatron heard Starscream saying quietly.

Skywarp smiled. "There's nowhere else we'd rather be than by your side, Screamer."

The love and devotion they harbored for their trineleader was obvious in their optics as first Skywarp, then Thundercracker, leaned over and kissed Starscream softly on the mouth. Megatron sat watching silently, at once both glad that Starscream had had bots in his life he could count on and also jealous, because Megatron couldn't say he had anyone like that, until Starscream. Optimus had been Megatron's last real friend, before the war had torn them apart and made them enemies.

No sooner had the other two Seekers settled back into their seats than Starscream's expression changed and Megatron knew the pain had come, swift and sharp. Once again, Megatron found his hand nearly being crushed as his mate squirmed about on the berth in agony.

Hook was ready at the end of the berth, his hands on Starscream's spread knees. "Now, Commander!" the medic cried. "Push!"

Starscream's expression became focused as he did as Hook directed. His dentae gritted and he grunted with the effort of pushing the sparkling into the world.

"Yes!" Hook encouraged him. "That's it. I can see the helm. Just a few more solid pushes and he'll be out."

Megatron could see Starscream's entire body straining, shaking, but he took in some air and bore down again. After a breem, the Air Commander flopped back on the berth, cycling air rapidly and releasing Megatron and Thundercracker's hands from their torment. "I can't," he gasped breathlessly. "Can't."

"Hey!" Hook barked, getting the Seeker's attention. "You can do this. You're doing great. One more big push and you'll be done."

Starscream nodded wearily and Megatron watched with pride as his mate gathered the last of his strength and put it all into that last push. The Seeker's lips drew back to show his fangs and his claws dug into the berth, leaving deep grooves behind. A full breem passed. Just as Hook yelled, "Yes!" and moved swiftly to catch the sparkling, Starscream gave one last wall-shaking roar of pain and then collapsed back, vents wheezing.

"You did it!" Hook said excitedly. Beaming, he held up the sparkling, still attached to Starscream by its feeding tube. It appeared tiny and was covered with bright blue Energon, wriggling in the medic's hands.

Thundercracker and Skywarp hugged each other, tears of joy leaking from their optics. Megatron picked up Starscream's limp hand and held it, leaning over the berth to lovingly stroke his mate's helm. The Seeker's optics were shuttered and he looked thoroughly exhausted. Megatron thought perhaps he'd fallen unconscious but Starscream twitched when Hook cut the feeding line, dull twinges of pain racing through his circuits. Hook hurried off with the newborn.

Megatron didn't move until he felt Hook's hand on his shoulder. The warlord straightened and turned to the medic.

"Here is your son, Lord Megatron," Hook murmured, offering him a tiny wiggling bundle. Megatron looked into Hook's optics as he reached out to take it.

"Thank you," he said quietly, and Hook nodded, understanding all the implications in the two simple words. The medic then dashed off to tend to Starscream.

Megatron carefully took hold of the sparkling and drew it close to his chest, gently moving the edges of the blanket it was wrapped in further away from its face. His son stared up at him. Megatron found himself unable to breathe.

The first thing he noticed was the optics. The little one had Starscream's beautiful optics, shaped exactly the same. Then Megatron realized the newborn had wings, just rounded nubs now but he knew they would grow to be slender, elegant wings just like his carrier's. The warlord nearly cried in relief. He had so wanted the sparkling to take after Starscream and it appeared he'd gotten his wish. It was too soon to tell what color he would be, as his armor remained pliant and nearly transparent. Delicate wiring and tiny gears were just visible through it and Megatron was filled with wonder at this new life he'd helped create.

He turned to the berth, where Starscream still lay unmoving. Hook had cleaned him up and connected him to an Energon IV to replace the fluid he'd lost. Megatron cradled the sparkling in one massive arm and reached out to give his mate a gentle shake. Starscream cracked an optic to peer at him.

"Would you like to hold your son?" Megatron asked softly.

Starscream nodded a little, and his trinemates helped him sit up, propping his still-quivering wings up on some pillows Hook brought over. When he was situated, he held out his arms and Megatron handed the little one over. Megatron watched as Starscream cradled the sparkling against his canopy and the two gazed at each other. Starscream raised his hand and stroked the edge of one ebony claw along the newborn's cheek. Two tiny hands appeared from inside the blanket and gripped Starscream's fingertip. Megatron smiled.

When Starscream looked up at him, coolant was streaming down his smooth face. "He's perfect," he whispered.

Megatron leaned down and kissed Starscream. "Our son is beautiful, like you," he murmured. "Just like I told you he would be." He tenderly wiped away his mate's tears with his thumbs. "He needs a designation, love." He realized they'd never talked of such a thing before.

Starscream was gently fingering the newborn's wing nubs; Megatron wasn't sure if it was intentional or just an instinctual action, but it was coaxing all sorts of soft clicks and chirps from the little one. The second-in-command was looking thoughtful.

"He'll need a proper Seeker name," he mused, gazing down at his son. A few kliks passed. Suddenly, Starscream looked up at Megatron with a bright smile.

"Skyrift!" he declared. "His name will be Skyrift."

"Skyrift," Megatron echoed softly, then nodded. "I like it. Skyrift it is."

When he stepped back and gazed at his mate holding his son, Megatron had never before felt such pride.


	17. Chapter 17

Starscream spent most of the cycle after the birthing curled up in his and Megatron's berth, deep in recharge. The Seeker was exhausted and his entire body hurt, but most of the discomfort had settled in his pelvic region. Hook had said this was to be expected and that it likely wouldn't abate for awhile.

"No vigorous activity for the first two weeks," he had admonished. "And certainly no interfacing." Hook had shot Megatron a severe look. The warlord had nodded obediently and the medic had continued.

"In fact, I want you to stay in bed for a whole week, Commander."

Starscream had protested, insisting he would be fine after a few cycles, but Hook wouldn't be persuaded.

"No," he said firmly, making a note on the datapad he held. His tone brooked no argument. "You are to stay in bed for the first week. Doctor's orders." He looked up and pointed at Megatron. "You make sure he follows my instructions."

Again, Megatron had nodded obediently, looking serious and solemn. Hook turned back to Starscream.

"Trust me, you'll be too sore and too tired to even want to get up. While the sparking went well, Skyrift was rather large and you are a small mech, Commander. There was some damage to your body and you need to allow it time to repair itself." Hook spoke into his comm link and a breem later, Knock Out appeared with a small vial, which he handed to Hook. Hook peered at the label, then nodded.

"Thank you, Knock Out. Take this, Commander," he said, handing the vial over to the Seeker. "It will ease your pain and help you recharge."

Starscream looked skeptical, but popped the top off the small container anyway and downed the contents. It tasted foul and he couldn't help grimacing. Hook took the vial back and then turned his attention back to Megatron.

"If there are any problems, don't hesitate to call me, my lord. Now I must insist that you take the Commander back to your quarters and be sure that he goes straight to bed."

"Of course. Thank you, Hook." With that, Megatron had taken hold of his mate's elbow and steered him toward the medbay exit. Halfway back to their quarters, Megatron noticed that Starscream had begun to walk more gingerly, the same way he did after a long night of hard interfacing. The warlord stopped.

"You're sore, aren't you?"

Starscream nodded, biting his lower lip with a pained expression. It hadn't been so bad before he'd started moving. Megatron stepped closer, then swept a startled Starscream up in his arms. He'd carried the Seeker the rest of the way to their quarters and didn't let him go until he'd gently laid him down on their berth.

Hook's drug was already working. Starscream was barely keeping his optics online. Megatron pulled a blanket over his mate, then leaned down to kiss the jet's forehead.

"Rest, my love. I'll be nearby if you need anything."

Starscream smiled faintly as his optics shuttered and he slipped into unconsciousness. And there he'd stayed for most of the cycle.

Megatron remained in their quarters just as he said he would, spending most of his time in the office next to their bedchamber, engrossed in reports and inventories. Hook had insisted on keeping Skyrift in the medbay for a cycle or two for observation and this allowed the warlord some much-needed peace and quiet for his paperwork. The engineering crews had sent up schematics and calculations regarding the _Nemesis'_ hyperdrives and how much longer they estimated the repairs would take. He was pleased to see that the ship ought to be completed in less than an orn. Attached was a calculation of how much Energon it would take to get the vessel powered back up and fully ready for spaceflight. The numbers made Megatron frown; they certainly would not have that much Energon left by the time work was completed. But if he could convince Optimus to sign a ceasefire, the two armies could combine their resources to get the _Nemesis _off the ground and back in the air.

Megatron still had not attempted to contact his rival. He'd spent much time contemplating the best way to approach Prime; then Starscream had gone into labor and such thoughts had been pushed to the back of his mind. Now Megatron found himself distracted with thoughts of his mate and their newborn son. Arranging a meeting with Optimus was out of the question for at least the next few weeks. Megatron refused to face the Autobots without Starscream at his side and the Seeker needed adequate time to recuperate. Megatron reflected that he had not met his goal of orchestrating a ceasefire before Starscream had delivered and he silently renewed his vow to himself to reach an agreement with Prime as soon as possible.

He realized he desperately wanted to go home. He wanted to raise his son on Cybertron, settle down there with his Seeker, maybe have more sparklings someday. If Starscream would allow it; after the stress this carrying cycle had put him through, Megatron wouldn't blame his second for refusing to do it all over again.

Thoughts of such things reminded Megatron to get up and go check on Starscream. Every time the warlord had peeked into their bedchamber, his mate had been solidly in recharge and he didn't expect this time to be any different. Much to his surprise, however, he found Starscream awake. Groggy, for sure, but still awake.

Megatron crossed the room and sat on the edge of the berth beside Starscream. The Seeker shifted and looked up at him with bleary optics, mustering a small smile. Megatron smiled back, reaching out to touch his second's cheek.

"Is everything alright, love? Do you need anything?" the warlord inquired.

"Fuel," Starscream said softly, his voice raspy from lack of use. He cleared his vocalizer and tried again. "I need to refuel. Could you bring me a cube? I'd get it myself but I don't think I could get up if my life depended on it."

"Of course," Megatron murmured. "Do you need another dose of painkillers? I can call Hook."

"No, no. I'll be fine," Starscream assured him. "It's uncomfortable but nothing I can't handle." He chuckled without much humor. "After the pain of bringing your son into the world, I think I can take just about anything."

Megatron smiled and rose, disappearing through the door. He returned a breem later with a cube of Energon, which he set aside while he helped Starscream sit up and situate the pillows behind his wings so he could lean back. The Seeker moved carefully and slowly, the grimace on his faceplates indicating just how uncomfortable he really was.

"Let me call Hook," Megatron pleaded as he handed his mate the cube.

"No. I said I'll be fine," Starscream stated stubbornly. Megatron sighed and sat back down on the berth, watching as his second gulped down the fuel hungrily. When he'd finished, he put the empty container aside and then looked at Megatron.

"So, when do you want to announce the news to the army?"

Megatron's optic ridges drew together. "I hadn't thought about it," he admitted. "But I suppose the sooner, the better."

Starscream nodded. "Which means you'll have to do it without me at your side."

Megatron chuckled. "I have made public addresses before without you there to hold my hand."

Starscream scowled. "I know that. I'm just pointing out that we won't be able to present a united front in case the Autobots are watching."

Megatron shrugged. "Let them think what they will. In a few weeks, this war will be over, Primus willing."

"They may assume I've died and use that as grounds for an attack," Starscream pressed on. "I don't think they really believed me when I said you didn't force me. Following that train of thought, they would just add my supposed death to your already long list of war crimes."

Megatron leaned over and kissed his mate. "Stop worrying. You need to rest so you can heal." Starscream's look of frustration was not lost on the warlord. "The sooner you're healed, the sooner we can get back to more pleasurable activities," he added with a grin.

Starscream huffed indignantly but Megatron saw the excitement in his optics all the same. Megatron knew his second had been feeling as deprived as he had been these last few orns. He had no doubt that when they were finally able to be intimate again, the experience would be processor-blowing. Hopefully, all this blasted warfare would be over for good by then and that would only make it better.

Megatron spoke as Starscream wriggled back down under the covers, pulling the pillows down under his helm. "I'll make the announcement for the army tomorrow and explain the reason for your absence. I'll keep it brief. Then I'm sure there will be a celebration I'll have to attend. Or a few."

"Mm-hm," Starscream murmured in agreement, already drifting off toward recharge again. "I'll be right here."

Megatron chuckled. "Good. It's where you need to be." He gave the Seeker one last gentle kiss.

Starscream didn't stir again until evening when Megatron came to bed, climbing in under the blankets. Then the Seeker only moved to scoot closer to his master, still half-asleep. Megatron pulled the jet into his arms and quickly joined him in unconsciousness.

* * *

Megatron looked out over the sea of faceplates that made up only a small portion of his army and thought back to the day well over a vorn ago when he'd stood in this same spot and announced his bonding with Starscream. So much had happened since then. He'd nearly died. Starscream had spent a length of time in a deep coma. They'd discovered they were expecting a son. They'd moved into a completely new, redone home. They'd found the Forge of Solus Prime. But the event he was about to announce was perhaps the most important, the one that had already changed his life forever.

There was muttering and restlessness from the crowd of soldiers and officers. Megatron knew that most, if not all, of the base knew that Starscream had gone into labor two nights ago, thanks to the Seeker's agonized screaming on the trip to the medbay. But the second-in-command hadn't been seen since and the troops had be curious about what had happened and about the Commander's condition. They all settled down when Megatron stepped forward and and they sensed he was about to speak. As there had been last time, a live video feed was recording and going out to Decepticon outposts everywhere.

Megatron cleared his throat and began. His strong voice rang out across the gathered troops and officers.

"It brings me great pleasure to inform you all that two cycles ago Commander Starscream safely delivered our son."

The roaring from the assembled troops was nearly deafening in the pause. Megatron let them cheer and yell for a long moment before holding up a hand for quiet.

"It is regrettable that the Commander cannot be present today, but our medical team has ordered the Commander to rest. He is tired but doing well."

In the front of the crowd, Skywarp and Thundercracker appeared relieved and grateful at this news. They hadn't been allowed to see Starscream since he'd left the medbay.

"Our son is also doing well. He has been under Hook's care in the medbay these last two cycles, but our CMO assures me the sparkling is perfectly healthy and is ready to join his creators in our quarters tomorrow. He is a Seeker frame type and has been given the designation of Skyrift."

Megatron paused for a moment, then dropped his proverbial bombshell.

"Work will be completed on the _Nemesis _within the orn. This is fortuitous as I do not intend to raise my son on an alien world." The warlord paused again, taking in the expectant hush of the crowd.

"Decepticons, we are going home!"

* * *

The roar of the gathered Decepticons echoed through the Autobot base. Megatron stood on the dais above them, looking pleased. Stunned silence hung between the watching Autobots; they'd been hacking the Con airwaves as usual when they'd caught the beginning of this spectacle. One by one, they'd drifted over until they were all staring up at the vid-screen, hanging on Megatron's words.

Now the transmission ended and the feed cut to static. More silence. No one moved.

Finally, Bulkhead was the first to speak. "I can't believe they would just up and leave."

Beside him, Wheeljack shrugged. "Who cares? The Cons want to go, let 'em."

"And good riddance," Arcee agreed with a nod.

"But why would they want to?" Bulkhead asked, looking truly perplexed. "After all the work they've done here on Earth. All the mining. And there's nothing to go back to on Cybertron."

"Perhaps not, but it will always be home." Optimus Prime had been staring at the blank vid-screen, deep in thought. Of them all, he had watched the transmission most closely. He had seen things the others hadn't. He had, after all, once been close to Megatron, loved him as a brother.

Bulkhead snorted a laugh. "You trying to tell me that 'ol buckethead has suddenly gone all nostalgic?"

"I am merely stating that becoming a creator has changed many a mech," Optimus said evenly, giving Bulkhead a mild glance, unperturbed.

"But they're Cons," Wheeljack cut in. "Cons never change."

Arcee was nodding, a slim hand on her cocked hip. "I know I've said it before, but...what if it's a trap? A scheme to lure us into a false sense of security?"

Optimus sighed heavily. "Regardless of whatever motives may be behind this announcement of Megatron's, we must remember that we have a duty and an obligation to that sparkling."

The Autobots exchanged slightly uneasy looks among themselves. They trusted their leader's judgment, of course. But on some level, they all felt that depriving a youngling of its family unit just wasn't quite right. No matter who its creators were.


	18. Chapter 18

**Here's another update for you guys. I hope everyone is continuing to enjoy this little tale. Please R&R! See you next time!**

* * *

Mid-morning the next day, Starscream awoke to murmuring voices inside the bedchamber. Megatron was no longer in the berth beside him; no doubt the warlord had risen joors ago, as the sun had come up. Hazily, the Air Commander reflected that he had been recharging so solidly he hadn't noticed the movement of his mate getting up nor the loss of a warm frame next to his. It seemed he'd been more exhausted than he'd realized.

He recognized the voices in the room immediately; one belonged to Hook and the other to Megatron. Instantly, the unbidden thought sprang into his processor that something must be wrong with Skyrift. Hook's presence usually boded ill. Tanks already churning with unease, the Seeker struggled upright in the berth, ignoring the painful tenderness that quickly spread throughout his pelvic region. He hated to interrupt whatever the two were discussing in such quiet tones, but he needed to know what was going on.

"Megatron?" Starscream asked worriedly, his voice scratchy from lack of use. "Is something wrong?"

The conversation paused and Megatron and Hook turned as one to face the berth, surprise etched onto both their faces.

"Commander!" Hook exclaimed. "Please excuse us. Nothing is wrong. I was merely going over some details with Lord Megatron before I give Skyrift over to you."

"I'm sorry we woke you," Megatron added, looking apologetic.

Starscream opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he caught sight of his son in the medic's arms. The sparkling was awake, bright crimson optics looking around curiously. He was quiet in Hook's careful grip, seemingly content, not even squirming. That changed instantly once the sparkling realized he was being watched and his gaze found Starscream. Skyrift began wriggling suddenly, startling Hook. A few insistent clicks and chirps came from the little flier, his optics locked on his carrier.

Hook chuckled and handed the youngling to Megatron. "I think someone wants to see the Commander."

Megatron smiled and took the sparkling, moving to the berth. When they drew near, Skyrift chirped twice as loud and leaned out, little arms reaching for Starscream. The Seeker held his own arms out and Megatron laid their son in them. Immediately, Skyrift quieted and stilled. Creator and offspring stared at each other, Starscream once again amazed at this tiny life he'd helped form. Through his exhaustion and discomfort, his spark sang out with pure happiness, pride and so much love he thought it would burst. Never had the second-in-command imagined he would be in this position nor that he would feel this way about it. Truthfully, he'd always thought himself too cold, too hard-sparked after so much war to be able to properly love a young one. Deep down, it was a relief to know he'd been wrong.

Megatron was gazing down at his little family with a smile lingering on his lips. "Hook is releasing Skyrift to us today," he said softly.

"That's correct," Hook confirmed. "As of now, he's all yours. I can already tell he's happier. Of course, don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions or problems." The medic paused and then added, "And Commander, if you need more pain-killers, let me know. I'm sure you're still hurting."

Starscream answered without looking up. "Thank you, Hook. Expect a call from me later in the day."

Megatron breathed a slight sigh of relief, glad that his stubborn mate had finally changed his mind. Hook dipped his helm to them and slipped from the room, leaving them alone with their son. Megatron sat on the edge of the berth, watching the interaction between sparkling and carrier with an unusual softness in his optics.

"There's no doubt he knows who you are," the warlord murmured.

"It's the bond," Starscream said wonderingly. He appeared to be concentrating for a moment before continuing. "Before, when I was still carrying him, I could almost literally hear his thoughts. Now there's no words, just emotions. Impressions of thoughts. It's different now but it's...good."

"What's he telling you now?" Megatron asked.

Starscream looked up at his mate with a lopsided grin. "He thinks I'm pretty."

Megatron laughed. "I see he has good taste. And he's completely right." The warlord leaned forward and caught Starscream's lips in a kiss. When he sat back, Starscream sighed.

"Our son wants to recharge and frankly, so do I." As if on cue, the sparkling yawned and chirped sleepily up at his carrier, as if prompting him to lay down so they could rest.

Megatron stood and took Skyrift while Starscream rearranged himself in the berth and got comfortable. "Where do you want him?" he asked.

"Here." Starscream indicated the spot next to his side. As soon as he was layed down, Skyrift snuggled into the Air Commander's chassis, tiny claws curling against smooth plating. The sparkling was asleep in mere kliks.

"Later, I'll be heading out to a celebration being thrown for us. Until then, I'll be working in the office. Just comm me if you need anything." Megatron leaned down and pressed a kiss to Starscream's forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too," Starscream mumbled, optics sliding shut. As his intakes grew slow and steady, Megatron took one more fond look at his mate and son, curled up together, and slipped from the room with a tiny smile.

* * *

As evening approached, Megatron put the finishing touches on the last of the day's paperwork and rose from his desk, stretching the stiffness from his powerful limbs. He took note of the time his internal chronometer displayed; he had just enough time to clean up before making his appearance among his officers and soldiers to partake in their celebatrating.

He moved quietly through the berthroom, not wishing to disturb Starscream and Skyrift, both of whom were still soundly recharging. The warlord took a quick shower and polished a few places of his armor which caught the light most. Then he went back through the berthroom, pausing by the bed on his way out. He knew Starscream had not stirred all day nor called Hook for pain-killers, but Megatron saw no reason to wake the Seeker now. He merely lightly kissed the top of the jet's helm and was about to turn away when a small movement caught his optic. Skyrift was stretching, the little wing nubs on his back twitching. Megatron paused to watch; as he did, Skyrift's optics cracked open and focused blearily on his sire. The sparkling gave a single groggy chirp and Megatron smiled, reaching down to rub his son's helm with a fingertip.

"Sleep, little one," he murmured and Skyrift's optics shuttered once again. Megatron lingered for another moment before going on his way, confident that his family was content and wanted for nothing.

* * *

The fresh darkness covered the team of Autobots as they crept closer to the outskirts of the Decepticon base. Arcee and Bumblebee led the way, optics scanning for sentries but none could be seen. Wheeljack and Bulkhead brought up the rear, cannons at the ready but not powered up. The four of them could hear faint sounds of merry-making, the sounds of bots laughing and talking. It seemed the whole base was taking the night off.

Wheeljack paused, a spark-deep wariness warring with surprise on his faceplates. "Sounds like the Cons are throwing a party," he whispered to no one in particular.

Arcee replied in her normal biting tone. "Of course they're throwing a party. They have an heir to Megatron's legacy now."

Wheeljack nodded but said nothing more. The team drew ever closer to the base, moving carefully and silently. Just because there were no sentries visible didn't mean that no one was watching. Soundwave most likely still had an optic on his surveillance feed, even if no one else did. It was highly unlikely that the Decepticons would leave their guard all the way down.

The four Autobots had had their doubts about embarking on this mission, which they each knew amounted to nothing but a simple kidnapping. It wasn't something any of them could feel proud about and they'd all gone around and around on the subject in their processors. But each time they'd come to the same conclusion; Optimus had a valid point and valid concerns. So they'd agreed to go on this mission, sneaking about in the night, waiting to snatch a sparkling from its creator's arms.

Arcee had studied the map of the base Wheeljack had drafted some time ago from hacking the Con database. She knew right where to go. It had been decided that she would be the one the one to grab the sparkling. She was smallest and fastest and most likely to get in and out without being noticed. The others were there purely for back-up if something should go horribly wrong.

The four reached the fence on the base's west side. They all knelt down low in the tall grass as Wheeljack slipped forward to cut a gap in the fence. Prying it apart, he waved Arcee forward and she slipped easily through the hole, followed by the others kliks later. They darted across open spaces and slunk along the walls of buildings toward their target: the wing of the command center housing the officer's quarters.

They couldn't just waltz into the command center and expect to not be noticed by someone. They had solved this issue easily by borrowing the Phase Shifter from Smokescreen. The young bot had not parted with his favorite gadget willingly and it took much persuading and finally a direct order from Optimus for him to hand it over. It was currently clamped to Arcee's forearm. It would allow her to walk directly into Megatron's quarters and right back out again.

Slipping around the corner of the officer's wing, Arcee counted windows as she passed them before stopping mid-way to the next corner.

"Here," she said softly. "This should be it."

Wheeljack consulted the datapad he had brought with which had the base map downloaded into it. After a moment, he looked up and nodded. "Should be."

Arcee took a breath. "Alright, here goes nothing. I'll be as quick as I can."

She double-checked the settings on the Phase Shifter, then reached out to touch the wall. When her fingers passed through it smoothly, she stepped forward, following her hand through. In the space of an optic blink, she found herself inside what was obviously an office. Her brow ridges furrowed; was she in the right place? She crept forward, optics adjusting to the dimness. There was a large desk to her left, covered in datapads and a computer station. To her right was a smaller desk, boasting similar equipment but less cluttered, as if it hadn't been used in awhile. The presence of two separate workstations set her mind at ease; this had to be the quarters Megatron and Starscream shared. No other Decepticon officer would have use for two workstations.

A soft glow came from the room outside the office and Arcee headed in that direction. Beyond the doorway, Arcee found a spacious living area, furnished smartly and lit by recessed glowlights near the ceiling. The room was airy and elegant with heavy Vosnian tones. Arcee was taken aback; she wasn't sure what she had been expecting from Megatron's chambers but this wasn't it. She took a moment to admire the ancient mosaic patterns set into the walls before heading for the other doorway leading off the room.

Pausing at the threshold, she peered in and saw the berthroom she'd originally been looking for. The room was dim but she could make out a large berth and a slender form in it who could only be Starscream. Soft, steady intakes told her he was deep in recharge, probably still recovering from the sparking. He lay on his side facing away from her, wings carefully folded back.

Arcee edged forward past the end of the berth. Starscream was apparently alone and for that she was glad. It would have been harder, not to mention more nerve-wracking, to sneak past a slumbering Megatron. This observation led her to her next thought; where was Megatron?

A few more steps had her past the berth and on its other side. Now she could see Starscream's face; he looked peaceful and younger than he was, the worries and cares of everyday life erased by unconsciousness. She took in his curves draped by the blankets in one swift glance and thought regretfully that it was a shame the Seeker had ended up a Decepticon. He really was beautiful.

But there was no time to waste. Arcee turned her attention to finding the sparkling. She was about to turn away when a slight movement drew her gaze back to Starscream's side. The Air Commander himself wasn't moving but something next to him was. Arcee drew closer; the covers shifted and there he was. The tiny sparkling she had come for, the little bot who was the cause of this giant mess called a mission.

Arcee found herself incapable of thought for a long breem as she stared down at Starscream's son. He was impossibly small and fragile-looking, but it wasn't hard to see the influence of Megatron's coding throughout his shoulders and chest. This young one would certainly grow to be a delicate balance between the warlord's stockier frame and heavier armor and Starscream's streamlined angles and delicate construction. Arcee could just make out the rounded wing nubs on the little bot's back, twitching ever so slightly. Arcee, despite herself, had to admit that he was really quite cute.

But she couldn't go getting all sentimental. She straightened her shoulders and stepped close to the berth, reaching out for the sparkling. The cycling of her intakes paused as she concentrated, sliding her slim fingers under the tiny flier and lifting slowly, trying not to disturb the blankets too much. One palm cradled his helm, being careful of his wing nubs, and the other supported his lower back and tiny aft. His plating was warm against her digits but he still squirmed a bit and gave a half-sparked chirp at the loss of heat from the blankets and his carrier's frame. Yet his optics didn't open.

Arcee drew Skyrift against her chestplate, hoping her warmth would soothe him and he wouldn't wake up. She took a step back...

And froze when Starscream shuffled in the berth. Her optics locked on his movement, hoping he would stay asleep. His hand reached out toward the spot where Skyrift had been, no doubt an automatic gesture to reassure himself his offspring was still there. Arcee held her breath as the Seeker's palm met emptiness. Instantly, all movement ceased. Starscream's brow creased and in the next moment, his optics flew open, the crimson splitting the darkness.

Arcee backed away hastily, bumping a nearby table. "Slag!" she cursed under her breath.

Immediately, the second-in-command's gaze found her. "What are you doing?" he asked as a torrent of emotions tumbled across his faceplates. There was confusion, surprise, shock, and finally realization. Then fear, true, unadulterated terror, settled on his features.

"No!" Starscream cried out in panic, struggling to get upright. "No, please!" A slender servo reached out pleadingly. "Please don't take him. Don't take my son!"

Arcee could plainly see the panic and fear in his optics and the physical pain his movement brought on reflected in his face. She found herself hesitating. She had expected anger, Starscream's go-to response, but not this. She could have easily run from anger; this was different. She had no doubt this reaction was real and it broke her spark.

Coolant welled in her blue optics. "I'm sorry, Starscream," she said softly.

"Arcee, please don't do this!" Starscream begged, intakes hitching on a sob. He was clearly past all thoughts of his own dignity. When he spoke next, his voice broke. "I'm his creator. Please don't take him away from me!"

Arcee found herself stalling, unsure, caught somewhere between what she was feeling and what her orders were. She was a good soldier, faithful, loyal. She had never purposely let Optimus down. And she had no intention of starting now.

And yet...

Starscream had gotten out of the berth, balancing on trembling legs. In fact, his entire frame was shaking and Arcee was amazed he had even managed to stand. She had never seen him so weak, so vulnerable. It would be so easy to raise a blaster and take aim...

But she knew Optimus would frown on that course of action. Decepticon he may be, Starscream was in no position to fight back and Arcee wasn't in the business of engaging in unfair fights.

Coolant was spilling over from Starscream's optics. "Please, Arcee," he whispered. "I don't want to fight you. I can't fight you." His gaze moved from her faceplates to his son, cradled securely in her hands and still soundly asleep.

"I know, Starscream," Arcee replied, forcing a flintiness she didn't feel into her voice. "that's why I'm not going to kill you." But she was sure her optics reflected how sorry she was for all of this.

She stepped away and turned swiftly. Behind her, Starscream let out an incoherent howl and there were a few pedefalls as he began to pursue her, followed by a decisive clanging thud that could only be the Seeker falling to the floor. Arcee dared not look back, lest her resolve falter. She reached the wall, stepped through and was gone in an instant.

Outside, she was met by her teammates.

"You got him?" Wheeljack asked as they approached.

"Yeah, I got him," Arcee said with a sigh. "Come on, let's get out of here."


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys, sorry it's taken me AGES to get this up. I hit a bad case of writer's block and my work schedule has been crazy but...here it is! Hopefully I can get the next bit up sooner. The end of this tale is looming, so please enjoy! Reviews would be appreciated. **

* * *

Megatron was enjoying himself. He was nursing a cube of warm, spiced Energon and idly following a conversation between a few of his officers. Shockwave and Thundercracker were mildly debating something scientific; Megatron didn't know exactly what, nor did he care. He was more concerned with soaking in the atmosphere in the room. The Decepticons were relaxed and casual for once as they made conversation and enjoyed the finest fuel from the stores. It made him remember the days before the war, before Cybertron became a desolate world of empty, destroyed cities.

Thundercracker was in the middle of replying to Shockwave when he stopped suddenly. Megatron's attention was drawn to the Seeker; the black and blue jet wore a strained expression and his gaze was unfocused, intakes suddenly hitching, gasping. Shockwave peered at him curiously.

"Thundercracker?" Megatron asked, brow furrowing as he took a step closer.

Suddenly, there was a pop and a flash of purplish light and Skywarp was beside his mate. Skywarp didn't teleport very often but even after all these centuries, his unusual talent still startled Megatron. The warlord was about to say something slightly admonishing to the purple Seeker but he stopped when he noticed the same type of pained expression was also evident on Skywarp's face.

"What is going on?" Megatron demanded, suddenly feeling uneasy. He looked from one Seeker to the other and back again. Skywarp had grabbed Thundercracker by the arm and it seemed they were helping one another stay upright.

"It's the trine bond," Thundercracker gasped out. "It's Starscream. Something's wrong."

Megatron didn't wait to hear more. He wheeled about instantly and headed for the exit, his reaching strides eating up the floor. Unsteady pedefalls dashed after him and a moment later, he felt a hand grab his elbow.

"My lord, allow me!" It was Skywarp.

Before Megatron could say a word, there was the familiar pop and the violet light. Megatron had the sense of leaving the floor, of almost leaving his body. In less than a klik, he was standing in his and Starscream's quarters. The warlord blinked; he'd never allowed Skywarp to teleport him anywhere before and the sensation of instantly being in one place and then in another was somewhat disorienting.

They were in the main living area and all appeared as it should. Nothing was disturbed and the glowlights were still on just as he'd left them several joors ago. But the hitching of intakes from the next room had them both running.

The first thing Megatron saw was the empty berth, covers in disarray. Nothing else seemed out of place. Rounding the foot of the bed, Megatron looked down and could just see Starscream, a quivering, sobbing heap on the floor. Megatron rushed forward, dropping to his knees and drawing his mate into his arms. He was aware of Skywarp checking the room and the refresher, then leaving to clear the office, cannons glowing menacingly in the near-dark.

"Starscream." Megatron gave his second a little shake. "What happened?"

He watched as his mate visibly tried to pull himself together enough to reply. The Seeker was absolutely distraught and the coolant just continued to stream down his faceplates even as he swiped at his optics with shaking fingers.

"Skyrift is gone," he finally managed to get out between the constant gasping of his intakes.

"What do you mean?"

"They took him."

"Who?" Megatron demanded.

"The Autobots." Starscream dissolved once more into sobs that shook his whole body.

"Those slaggers." Skywarp had come back into the room just in time to hear. His optics flared in anger.

Megatron's spark filled with equal amounts cold fear and burning hot rage. How dare Optimus do this! This was desperation on a whole new level. He never would have expected this from the bot he once considered a friend, a brother. Megatron felt his spark pound with a hatred so intense his processor blanked from everything but thoughts of getting his son back, destroying the Autobots mercilessly. His fists clenched, mindless of where they clutched at Starscream's thinner plating. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

"It was Arcee," Starscream was whispering. "I begged her to stop but she wouldn't listen."

"Why didn't you shoot that bitch?!" Megatron asked harshly; his voice had dropped an octave as it always did when he was livid.

Starscream looked up at him, hurt and helplessness shining in his wet optics. "I couldn't!" he cried brokenly. "Hook still hasn't reinstalled my cannons after he took them."

Megatron remembered hazily that the CMO had removed Starscream's weaponry so their systems wouldn't drain his energy levels while he recovered. He growled again, this time in frustration. He knew he shouldn't blame Starscream. His mate was weak and in no shape to fight anyone.

"If only I'd been here," he snarled under his breath. "She wouldn't have made it past the door frame."

"Don't blame yourself, my lord," Skywarp murmured. "None of us this saw this coming." He had come to kneel down by Starscream's other side; suddenly he realized his knee armor was wet. He was kneeling in a puddle of something. He dipped a fingertip in it and rubbed it over his thumb. It had the unmistakable, all too familiar feel and tangy smell of Energon. It could only have come from one place.

"Megatron, he's bleeding!" Skywarp said as he reached out to touch his trineleader; his servos came away sticky with Energon. "There's a lot of it!"

"Scrap!" Megatron cursed as he commed Hook. It took only a few breems for the CMO to arrive, Knock Out and Thundercracker close behind. Lights came on, revealing the Energon pooled on the floor. Megatron and Skywarp were both kneeling in it.

"Primus!" Hook exclaimed. He shooed Skywarp out of the way. Both medics moved in to take his place. A breem of examination revealed the source of the bleeding to be from between Starscream's legs.

"Slag," Knock Out cursed. "When he got up, he must have torn all the weld lines we patched after the sparking."

"It appears that way," Hook agreed. "We need to get him to the medbay right away. This is exactly why I ordered him to stay in bed." Hook looked up at Megatron. "What happened?"

"The Autobots were here," Megatron ground out from between gritted dentae. "They stole my son."

Hook's optics were wide. "And the Commander attempted to stop them."

Megatron nodded. "Yes." It was all he could manage to say.

Hook stood swiftly. "Come! To the medbay!"

Megatron got to his feet with Starscream in his arms. The warlord's entire frame was quaking with barely contained rage. Hook touched Megatron's claws where they gripped his mate.

"My lord, I know you're very angry right now, but please loosen your grip. You're starting to dent the Commander's armor."

Megatron had to make an effort to relax his hold. Sure enough, there were faint indentations in Starscream's plating. Megatron felt disgusted at his lack of control. He shook his head.

"Someone please take him from me," he said suddenly. "I am not capable of gentleness right now and I don't want to hurt him. He's in enough pain already."

Thundercracker stepped close and reached for his trineleader. Starscream had always been the smallest of the three of them and Thunder had easily carried Starscream in the past when his battle wounds had prevented him from walking or flying on his own.

"I'll take him," the blue Seeker said quietly. As Megatron handed Starscream over, his optics locked with Thundercracker's. Thundercracker spoke flintily.

"We will make them pay, my lord."

Megatron's spark thrummed to the promise of destruction in those words. He watched Thundercracker turn and swiftly walk away, cradling his trineleader in his arms, followed by Hook and Knock Out, their heads bent together as they discussed the situation. His spark hurt for his mate and what he'd gone through and the warlord admitted he felt plenty of anxiety over his son's well-being. But most of all, he was angry. Livid. He wanted nothing more than to take all his rage and all of Starscream's pain and turn it back on the Autobots. Make them feel what it was like to have your own creation so cruelly taken from you without warning. Straight from the arms of its fragile carrier, who'd been powerless to fight back.

Remembering how distraught Starscream was made the Energon in Megatron's lines boil. His fists clenched and his optics blazed; he wanted to smash something. Good sense told him to save it for the battlefield. For there was no doubt that the truce was over.

* * *

A few hundred miles away in the Autobot base, things were finally quiet. Everyone was catching some recharge with the exception of Arcee and Ratchet. The two were in the medbay, tending to the base's newest resident. Ratchet stood over the modified crib he'd cobbled together, gazing down at the tiny Seeker, who was finally deep in recharge. The old medic heaved a sigh.

"Thank Primus he's finally quiet," Ratchet muttered.

Behind him, Arcee rubbed at tired optics. "Now I remember why I never had any sparklings of my own."

Ratchet turned to her with a small smile. "They grow so fast, though. This phase doesn't last long."

"It's a miracle he didn't wake up before we got back to base," Arcee said as she leaned on a nearby counter with a sigh. "Ratchet, I'm still not sure about this. I mean, does Optimus really think that Megatron won't try to get his son back?"

Ratchet shrugged. "I don't know what has been running through our leader's processors lately. Cons or not, I can't imagine that Megatron and Starscream don't care for their creation, at least a little." The medic paused. "I can't think this is going to end well for any of us."

Arcee nodded in silent agreement. She had been thinking the same thing. A few kliks passed before she spoke again, quietly.

"You know, Ratchet, after this, perhaps we deserve Megatron's wrath."

Ratchet said nothing. He was afraid that she was right.


End file.
